A senior doctor who worked alongside Lucy Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital has expressed regret over the hospital's failure to act on concerns about Letby's behavior. Dr John Gibbs, a consultant paediatrician, admitted responsibility for the hospital's failings and said, “I wish we consultants had been brave enough to follow our suspicions and escalate things to the police earlier.” Lucy Letby was convicted in 2026, and the Thirlwall Inquiry was launched after her conviction to investigate the hospital's handling of the situation. The inquiry report, which is 822 pages long, was released on September 15, 2026.
Dr Gibbs, who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said, “I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy read and it certainly isn’t.” The inquiry report details a staggering catalogue of failures that left Letby free to harm and kill babies. According to the BBC, the report reveals that hospital staff failed to act on concerns about Letby’s behavior, even after multiple instances of suspicious incidents.
The Thirlwall Inquiry, led by Lady Justice Thirlwall, was established to investigate the hospital's response to the concerns raised about Letby. Dr Gibbs, in an interview with the BBC, admitted, “We did too little too late.” The inquiry report highlights the systemic failures within the hospital that allowed Letby to continue her harmful activities undetected for years.
The report also includes a detailed timeline of events, which shows that hospital staff missed numerous opportunities to intervene and prevent further harm. Dr Gibbs expressed his regret and acknowledged the hospital's responsibility in the matter, stating, “I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy read and it certainly isn’t.” The report’s findings have prompted a renewed call for accountability and reform within the healthcare system.
In the wake of the inquiry report's release, the hospital is now facing significant pressure to implement changes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The report's release has also sparked a broader conversation about the need for better protocols and training for medical staff to recognize and act on suspicious behavior.
The hospital's response to the inquiry report will be closely watched as it moves forward with implementing the necessary reforms. The next procedural step will be for the hospital to develop a detailed action plan to address the issues identified in the report.