Lucy Letby case: Inquests opened as scrutiny shifts to systems and evidence

A new phase of legal and public scrutiny is unfolding in the Lucy Letby case, as coronial proceedings begin to run alongside a wide-ranging public inquiry into how concerns inside a neonatal unit were handled. The developments arrive with Letby serving whole-life sentences while continuing to maintain her innocence, and as debate persists around the medical evidence that underpinned the original prosecutions.

Inquests begin, then pause until later 2026

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, a coroner formally opened inquests into the deaths of five babies Letby was convicted of murdering at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The opening hearings were brief and procedural, and the cases were adjourned, with a further hearing date set for September 2026.

The inquest scope is constrained by law: it can examine the circumstances of death and relevant systemic issues, but it cannot reach findings that contradict the criminal convictions already secured. In practice, that places much of the spotlight on questions of process—how the hospital responded to warning signs, how concerns were escalated, and what safeguards did or did not function—rather than on re-litigating guilt.

Prosecutors close the door on further charges

Separately, prosecutors have decided not to pursue additional criminal charges against Letby related to further allegations involving deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies. That decision, announced on Jan. 20, 2026, followed review of a file submitted by investigators and means the criminal case is not expanding beyond the convictions already on the record.

The decision does not end other strands of accountability work around the hospital’s leadership and governance at the time. Investigations into potential corporate wrongdoing have remained in the background of the wider story, and the public inquiry continues to assess institutional decision-making, staffing, and clinical oversight during the period in question.

Public inquiry enters a decisive stage

The public inquiry led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall has been examining events at the hospital and the broader implications following Letby’s convictions. With hearings substantially advanced, attention is turning to what the inquiry will ultimately recommend—particularly on patient safety, escalation pathways, and how hospitals handle clusters of unexpected clinical events.

While the inquiry does not determine criminal liability, its conclusions can reshape policy and practice across the health system. It also provides a structured forum to examine what happened inside the organization at a level of detail that trials, focused on individual charges, do not always capture.

The legal route for review remains open

Letby has already faced major setbacks in court challenges, but the route of case review continues through the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which confirmed it received an application on her behalf in February 2025. That body can investigate potential miscarriages of justice and, if it finds a “real possibility” that a conviction would not be upheld, refer the case back to the appeal courts.

In recent weeks, the case has also re-entered public view through a new documentary that revisits the investigation and trial. The program has amplified debate around how certain expert opinions were presented and how competing interpretations of medical evidence were weighed. Some clinicians and commentators argue the prosecutions leaned too heavily on contested theories; others emphasize the jury verdicts and the breadth of the evidence heard at trial. Several key details remain disputed in public discussion and are not publicly confirmed beyond the court record.

Key takeaways for what comes next

• The inquests are underway but paused, with September 2026 positioned as the next major milestone in the coronial timetable.

• With no further charges planned, near-term developments are more likely to come from the inquiry’s findings and any review decisions than from new prosecutions.

• The next significant turning points will be institutional: recommendations, governance outcomes, and any formal referral back to an appeal court.

The case now sits at the intersection of three tracks: completed criminal convictions, ongoing institutional review, and the possibility—still uncertain—of renewed appellate scrutiny through the case review process. For families and clinicians, the central practical question is increasingly about systems: what went wrong in detection, escalation, and oversight, and what must change to prevent similar failures in the future.

Sources consulted: The Guardian, Crown Prosecution Service, Criminal Cases Review Commission, Thirlwall Inquiry