Inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes will proceed without pause

A public inquiry into the actions of Lucy Letby, a former nurse convicted of murdering infants, will continue as planned. The judge in charge, Lady Justice Thirlwall, stated that the inquiry will not be paused despite requests from Letby and former hospital executives. The inquiry has been examining how Letby managed to kill seven babies and attempt to kill seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The final report from the inquiry is expected to be published in November. Letby’s lawyers argued that stopping the inquiry was necessary due to an ongoing challenge against her convictions. They claimed that continuing with the inquiry could lead to an unreliable final report. However, Richard Baker KC, representing the victims' families, said the requests were an attempt to control the situation. Lady Justice Thirlwall emphasized that the focus of the inquiry is not Letby's actions but rather how the hospital's staff responded to the events at the time. She pointed out that there has been an acknowledgment of significant failings in safeguarding at the hospital. This issue will likely be a key part of the inquiry's final findings.