Guidance

Thirlwall Inquiry: terms of reference

The Thirlwall Inquiry has been set up to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their implications following the trial, and subsequent convictions, of former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby of murder and attempted murder of babies at the hospital.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published
19 October 2023
Last updated
22 November 2023 — See all updates

Documents

Thirlwall Inquiry: terms of reference

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Details

The government has published the terms of reference for the Thirlwall Inquiry. This follows an engagement process led by the inquiry’s independent chair, Lady Justice Thirlwall, with the affected families and other stakeholders.

The terms of reference cover 3 broad areas:

  • the experiences of the parents of the babies named in the indictment
  • the conduct of clinical and non-clinical staff and management, as well as governance and escalation processes in relation to concerns being raised about Lucy Letby and whether these structures contributed to the failure to protect babies from her
  • the effectiveness of governance, external scrutiny and professional regulation in keeping babies in hospital safe, including consideration of NHS culture

The inquiry will play an important role in identifying learnings following events at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Further details about the inquiry, including how to contact it, are available on the Thirlwall Inquiry website.

Updates to this page

Published 19 October 2023
Last updated 22 November 2023 + show all updates

  1. Added a link to the Thirlwall Inquiry website.

  2. First published.

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