The year 2026 marks the eleventh anniversaries of the births and deaths of Baby A, Baby C, Baby D, Baby E and Baby I, the births and collapses of Baby B, Baby G, Baby H and Baby J, and the injuries to Baby F. It marks the tenth anniversaries of the births and deaths of Baby K, Baby O and Baby P, the births and collapses of Baby M, Baby N and Baby Q, and the injuries to Baby L.
The parents of those babies have waited years to know the detail of what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital between early June 2015, when Baby A died, and 2018, when Lucy Letby was arrested. In August 2023, after a ten-month trial, Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies (Baby A, Baby C, Baby D, Baby E, Baby I, Baby O and Baby P) and the attempted murders of a further six babies (Baby B, Baby F, Baby G, Baby L, Baby M and Baby N). She was convicted at a retrial in June and July 2024 of the attempted murder of Baby K. Two applications for leave to appeal were dismissed in July and October 2024 respectively. An application was made to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (in February 2025) seeking a referral of the case back to the Court of Appeal.
This Inquiry was set up in October 2023. Witnesses were identified, documents were obtained. Evidence hearings began in September 2024. A total of 134 witnesses gave oral evidence over five months. In March 2025 I heard closing submissions and an application to pause the Inquiry, which I refused. My ruling on the application, on 19 March 2025, may be found on the Inquiry’s website.
At the beginning of the hearings, I said that the experience of the parents would be at the heart of the Inquiry. The evidence about this appears in Part One of the Report. Part Two deals with the wider NHS. Part Three contains Recommendations and Appendices.
I would like to thank the parents of all the babies who died or were injured. Their evidence, generously given, was amongst the most thoughtful and moving any person will ever hear. Throughout a very difficult and prolonged process, the parents have conducted themselves with dignity and determination, with the aim that no other parents should have to experience such grief and heartache.
The Rt Hon. Lady Justice Thirlwall DBE