Thirlwall Inquiry finds three babies could have survived if hospital had acted on Lucy Letby concerns

Lady Justice Thirlwall's inquiry into the deaths at the neonatal unit where nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murder found that three babies may have survived had hospital leadership acted on concerns raised by a consultant. The inquiry identified a "complete failure at all levels" to invoke safeguarding procedures and criticized senior nurses for refusing to accept the consultant's concerns were justified.

Police were not contacted until May 2017, approximately a year after the death of baby P in June 2016 and well after Letby had been removed from the neonatal unit. Thirlwall noted that while investigating clinical explanations for deaths was appropriate, safeguarding steps should have been taken once deliberate harm was suspected.