Lucy Letby inquiry report delayed for third time

A report from a public inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder seven babies and attempt to kill seven others has been further delayed.

The Thirwall Inquiry was established to look into what happened at the Countess of Chester of Hospital between 2015 and 2016, while Letby was working as a nurse in its neonatal unit.

An inquiry spokesperson said although "considerable progress" had been made, the report and its recommendations would not now be published until after Parliament's summer recess which ends on 31 August.

The delay also means the inquests into the deaths of six babies at the hospital between 2015 and 2016 linked to Letby's convictions have been pushed back until May 2027.

HM Coroner's Court Cheshire confirmed the inquests would "remain suspended" to ensure the inquiry's report is fully considered before they proceed.

They had been provisionally listed for 14 September.

Letby is serving 15 whole-life prison sentences for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, one of whom on two occasions.

The public inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall heard evidence and examined how concerns about Letby were handled by the hospital, the decisions of clinicians and managers, and whether action could have been taken sooner to stop her.

In an update on the inquiry website, a spokesperson said the report would be published "at the earliest practical date, however that will not be until after the summer recess of Parliament".

It is the latest in a string of delays.

The report was first expected to have been published in November 2025.

Last month a senior healthcare boss who worked at the Countess of Chester was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and bailed by police.

The arrest came as part of two separate criminal investigations into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter at the hospital.

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