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The recent report on Lucy Letby’s case is unlikely to alter public or legal views regarding her guilt, as it did not address that issue directly. Lady Justice Thirlwall, who led the inquiry, made it clear from the outset that she accepted Letby’s guilt, stating, “I have approached the inquiry on the basis that Lucy Letby is guilty of the crimes of which she has been convicted.” She emphasized that reviewing the convictions was beyond her mandate, noting, “The Court of Appeal has done that, with a very clear result.”
Although the inquiry’s findings won’t overturn Letby’s convictions, their impact may be felt within the wider legal framework. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the sole body empowered to refer Letby’s case back to the Court of Appeal, is closely monitoring the inquiry’s conclusions. Dame Vera Baird, chair of the CCRC, told the BBC, “We will be looking at the report with interest to assess whether it has any bearing on our review of the case.” However, no timeline has been given regarding when the commission might reach a decision.
Despite the inquiry explicitly avoiding questions of guilt or innocence, the issue permeated the proceedings. Near the conclusion, former hospital executives requested that the inquiry be postponed until the CCRC completed its review. Similar appeals came from Letby’s lawyers and MP Sir David Davis, a campaigner on her behalf. Sir David argued that conducting an inquiry “predicated on the presumption that Lucy Letby’s conviction is safe, when there is now a wealth of authoritative voices questioning that conviction, will only undermine the conclusions arrived at by your inquiry and potentially lead to more babies dying unnecessarily.” Lady Justice Thirlwall declined these requests, clarifying that the inquiry’s focus was on the hospital staff’s response to the crisis, not Letby’s actions.
Among the key questions the inquiry sought to answer was whether earlier intervention might have prevented harm to some infants. Thousands of documents made public during the inquiry offered new insights into the hospital’s internal dynamics. For example, concern should arguably have arisen as early as June 2015 when three babies died in rapid succession—an unusually high number given the unit’s typical annual mortality. In August 2015, a baby was poisoned with insulin, but a blood test result failed to trigger an alarm. Hospital consultants later conceded this was a “collective failure.” Lawyers representing the baby’s family described the test results as “the clearest opportunity to detect and stop Letby” and a “bright line within the chronology after which no babies should have been harmed.” By early 2016, senior hospital figures, including medical director Ian Harvey and nursing director Alison Kelly, were aware of the high death rate and growing concern about a particular nurse, yet no safeguarding actions were taken. Letby was finally removed from nursing duties only after two triplet brothers died in June 2016.
The inquiry’s findings are also viewed as potentially impactful beyond this single case. Dr Rosie Benneyworth, chief executive of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, remarked, “We can’t keep going on diagnosing the problem, and not making the change.” She highlighted that the inquiry had amassed “a huge amount” of material and stressed the need for cultural change within the NHS to improve patient safety. Meanwhile, Carla Duprey, representing families affected by the case, saw the lengthy inquiry process as a positive indication that no detail was overlooked. She expressed optimism, saying, “I am optimistic that the report is going to be thorough, will raise criticisms, and will hopefully result in some real change.”
Public reaction to the case, meanwhile, remains sharply divided. Campaigns to free Letby continue alongside fierce opposition, with both sides active on various online platforms including Facebook, Reddit, and Tattle Life. David Wilson, emeritus professor of criminology, suggested that the report is unlikely to shift entrenched views. He noted that vocal commentators tend to believe in Letby’s innocence and expect to use hospital governance criticisms from the report to support their stance. According to Professor Wilson, the report will likely become “another component of the information war that’s constantly being waged about her guilt or innocence,” generating “more heat than light.” Regardless of individual perspectives, the report will attract close scrutiny from all parties involved. However, rather than calming the debate, it seems probable that people will interpret its contents in ways that reinforce their existing beliefs about Lucy Letby
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