Lucy Letby inquiry to consider experiences of Welsh patients

Lucy Letby was jailed for life for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of a further six

The inquiry into the Lucy Letby case will consider the experience of babies from Wales using services in England, it has been confirmed.

The neonatal nurse murdered seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, across the border from Wales.

England's health secretary Steve Barclay said "five of the babies concerned in the trial actually were from a cross jurisdiction basis".

The inquiry will look at how the NHS handled the case.

Mr Barclay was responding to a question by the Dwyfor Meirionydd MP Liz Saville Roberts, who asked how the inquiry would deal with Welsh patients and babies requiring treatment in England.

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The Plaid Cymru MP said the "families of those five poor babies from Wales, and the many others over the border, deserve full confidence that hospital management will be held fully accountable for the terrible failings in this case and that measures will be put in place to ensure these hideous crimes will never be possible in future".

Lady Justice Thirlwall has been appointed to chair the inquiry into the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history.

Mr Barclay told MPs it was "an extremely important point" raised by Ms Saville Roberts.

"Because five of the babies concerned in the trial actually were from a cross jurisdiction basis, so it is important that we take on board those lessons, we look at how those cases, where it applies in this case to a baby from a family from Wales, are captured, and I know that is something that Justice Thirlwall will give consideration to, but will be shaped by her discussions with the families," he added.

What did Lucy Letby do?

In August, Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

The 33-year-old was given a whole life sentence and will spend the rest of her life in prison.

Following the verdict, Mr Barclay announced an independent inquiry into the events that took place at the hospital.

Making a statement on the inquiry in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Barclay announced that the inquiry would be led by Court of Appeal Judge Lady Justice Thirwall.

Ms Saville Roberts said: "I welcome the secretary of state's confirmation that Justice Thirlwall will give full consideration to the cross-border implications of this horrific case.

"I hope that the inquiry's terms of reference will enable in-depth investigation into the quality of patient safety and communications between health boards and hospitals cross-border in the past, and make robust recommendations for the future.

"Families of those five poor babies from Wales, and the many others over the border, deserve full confidence that hospital management will be held fully accountable for the terrible failings in this case and that measures will be put in place to ensure these hideous crimes will never be possible in future."