# The Lucy Letby inquiry that missed the nurses' story > A massive investigation into a nurse convicted of murder ignored evidence that she might be innocent. - Title: The Lucy Letby inquiry that missed the nurses' story - Summary: A massive investigation into a nurse convicted of murder ignored evidence that she might be innocent. The Thirlwall Inquiry assumed Lucy Letby's guilt and… - Keywords: lucy letby, thirlwall inquiry, countess of chester hospital, neonatal deaths, wrongful conviction, stephen brearey, ravi jayaram, shoo lee, karen rees, eirian powell, nhs, medical errors - Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-new-lucy-letby-report-misses-the-point - Author: Rachel Aviv - Published: 2026-09-18T17:04:34.897+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: lucy letby, thirlwall inquiry, countess of chester hospital, neonatal deaths, wrongful conviction, stephen brearey, ravi jayaram, shoo lee, karen rees, eirian powell, nhs, medical errors ## A nurse convicted of murder Lucy Letby, a nurse at Countess of Chester Hospital, was found guilty of murdering babies and sentenced to life in prison three years ago. ## A massive inquiry begins The government launched the Thirlwall Inquiry, which took three years, sixty days of hearings, and cost twenty-four million dollars. ## Medical evidence falls apart The prosecution claimed Letby injected air into babies' bloodstreams, relying on a 1989 paper whose co-author says was misinterpreted. ## Fourteen experts find no evidence Neonatologist Shoo Lee assembled a panel of fourteen medical experts who reviewed thirty-five thousand pages and found no evidence Letby harmed anyone. > In all cases, death or injury were due to natural causes or just bad medical care. ## A former health secretary changes his mind Jeremy Hunt, who was Health Secretary during the deaths, now says concerns about the case must be addressed urgently. > If the deaths were caused by medical errors mistaken for murder, lessons will not be learned and more babies will die. ## Scientists ask to pause the inquiry Twenty-four clinicians and scientists asked to postpone the inquiry, warning it might miss the real causes of deaths at the hospital. ## The inquiry refuses to reconsider Lady Justice Thirlwall declined to explore alternative theories about the deaths, keeping the inquiry focused on Letby's guilt. > It is not for me in the discharge of my duties to seek to explore alternative theories about the deaths. ## Nurses defended Letby from the start Records from the inquiry show nurses on Letby's unit consistently defended her against doctors' accusations but were dismissed. ## A gut feeling, not evidence When pediatrician Stephen Brearey first accused Letby, nursing head Karen Rees asked for evidence. He offered only a gut feeling and a drawer of doom. > I can't remove a nurse from a clinical practice just because of gut feeling and a drawer of doom. ## Doctors admit their suspicion is subjective At a meeting with hospital executives, pediatrician Ravi Jayaram acknowledged their suspicion of Letby was entirely subjective. ## Nurses saw it as a witch hunt The neonatal unit's deputy manager said she found it very difficult to act on something she didn't believe in, calling it a witch hunt. > I found it very difficult to act on something I didn't believe in, it was a witch-hunt. ## Letby was flexible and skilled Neonatal manager Eirian Powell said Letby was present for so many deaths because she was amenable, flexible, and one of the best nurses. ## Nursing leaders call removal immoral The director of nursing called Letby's removal from the ward wrong and immoral, warning it sent a message that doctors were believed over nurses. > It is clear that the 2 consultants call the shots. ## Letby wanted police involvement At her grievance hearing, Letby said she had nothing to hide and was happy for police to investigate. > I was happy for the Police to come. I had nothing to hide. ## Two reviews found no deliberate harm The hospital commissioned two independent reviews of the deaths. Neither identified signs of deliberate harm. ## Doctors bypass hospital executives After the reviews cleared Letby, pediatrician Jayaram sent an email directly to police, bypassing hospital executives. ## Police find doctors very powerful The police superintendent said his meeting with the doctors was powerful. That day, police launched a criminal investigation. > I can't describe how powerful it was. They were just very powerful in what they were saying. ## Letby's bosses now face charges Three of Letby's bosses were arrested in June 2025 on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter for failing to stop her sooner. ## A doctor dies after dismissal A doctor who testified about supportive messages to Letby was fired from his job. A day later, he was found collapsed and eventually died. ## Thirty-seven nurses still say no When asked if they had concerns about Letby's conduct, all but two of thirty-seven nurses and midwives said no, often emphatically. > Lucy did not commit any crimes. If there had been CCTV the footage would have proved her innocence. ## Key takeaway The Thirlwall Inquiry assumed Lucy Letby's guilt and dismissed nurses who defended her, potentially missing the real causes of infant deaths.