Inquiry into Baby Deaths at Chester Hospital Amid Controversial Conviction

The Countess of Chester Hospital faces an inquiry after neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more. The investigation aims to address hospital failures and review the cultural issues within the NHS, while supporters call for a broader legal review.

The Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England is the subject of an inquiry following the conviction of neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others.

The investigation, which begins on Tuesday in Liverpool, will not evaluate the legal basis of Letby's convictions. Instead, it will focus on hospital failures, how staff complaints were managed, and how parents of affected infants were treated. The inquiry also aims to assess the broader cultural issues within the National Health Service (NHS), which has faced similar scandals in the past.

Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, leading the inquiry, emphasized the need for accountability, stating, "It has happened again. This is utterly unacceptable." The inquiry comes as supporters of Letby push for a review of the evidence against her, citing concerns over the use of circumstantial and statistical data during her trial.

(With inputs from agencies.)