Ministers have announced an independent inquiry into how the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was able to murder seven babies and attempt to kill six others before she was reported to police.
The inquiry, announced by the health secretary, Steve Barclay, will be independent from the NHS and government and involve input from families, but it will not be a formal statutory inquiry, under which witnesses can be compelled to give evidence.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had been decided that a non-statutory independent inquiry was the best option, in part so lessons could be learned more quickly.
Letby, 33, was convicted of the “persistent, calculated and cold-blooded” murder of premature infants at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England, making her the worst child serial killer in modern British history.
A key consideration for the inquiry is likely to be how Letby was allowed to continue working at the neonatal unit, and then elsewhere at the hospital, even after consultants raised concerns about her in connection with the unusually high rate of infant deaths.
After concerns were raised in October 2015, Letby subsequently attacked five more babies, killing two.
The DHSC said the inquiry “will look at the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents, including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with”, and at what actions were taken by regulators and the NHS more generally.
The inquiry would aim to “help ensure families get the answers they need”, with relatives asked to help shape the process, the announcement added.
Yvonne Agnew, a lawyer representing two of the families, said the conviction was “not the end of our search for answers”, adding: “We are determined that lessons are learned by the Countess of Chester hospital, the NHS and the wider medical profession so that no babies or parents are put in harm’s way like this again.”
Samantha Dixon, the Labour MP for City of Chester, has written to Barclay asking for a “full, independent and public inquiry”.
Speaking later to Times Radio, Dixon said she had subsequently asked Barclay to consider making the inquiry statutory, saying it was vital to secure “the fullest cooperation of everyone”.
Barclay said in a statement: “I would like to send my deepest sympathy to all the parents and families impacted by this horrendous case. This inquiry will seek to ensure the parents and families impacted get the answers they need. I am determined their voices are heard, and they are involved in shaping the scope of the inquiry should they wish to do so.
“Following on from the work already under way by NHS England, it will help us identify where and how patient safety standards failed to be met and ensure mothers and their partners rightly have faith in our healthcare system.”
A chair would be appointed in due course, the DHSC statement said, with the terms of reference for the inquiry also being published later.
On Friday a jury found Letby guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more. She was reported to police in 2017 and arrested in 2018.
The medical director at the Countess of Chester hospital, Dr Nigel Scawn, said: “We are extremely sorry that these crimes were committed at our hospital and our thoughts continue to be with all the families and loved ones of the babies who came to harm or died.
“Our staff are devastated by what happened and we are committed to ensuring lessons continue to be learned.
“Since Lucy Letby worked at our hospital, we have made significant changes to our services. I want to provide reassurance that every patient who accesses our services can have confidence in the care they will receive.”
