Health secretary Yvette Cooper has told the Commons that plans to install cameras in neonatal units are being developed 'urgently' in the wake of the Thirlwall inquiry report into Lucy Letby, which found three babies might have survived had the hospital acted on concerns.
Key facts
- Yvette Cooper says officials have been asked to develop plans for cameras in neonatal units.
- The Thirlwall inquiry found three babies may have survived if the hospital had acted over concerns about Lucy Letby.
- The inquiry criticised a 'prolonged delay by senior managers in calling the police'.
- Police were eventually contacted in May 2017, around a year after the death of baby P in June 2016.
- Cooper told the Commons she is 'profoundly sorry' and said this must 'be a turning point for the NHS'.
Health secretary Yvette Cooper has said plans for cameras in neonatal units are being developed ‘urgently’ following the publication of the Thirlwall inquiry report into the case of Lucy Letby, according to the Guardian. Cooper told the Commons that officials had been asked to develop plans to install the cameras in baby wards.
Addressing MPs, Cooper said the moment must ‘be a turning point for the NHS’ and told the Commons she is ‘profoundly sorry’ for the mistakes highlighted in the Thirlwall report.
The inquiry, led by Lady Justice Thirlwall, found that three babies may have survived if the hospital had acted over concerns raised about Letby. The report set out a series of failures in how those concerns were handled by staff and managers.
According to the report, senior nurses at the hospital refused to accept that a consultant’s concerns could be justified. Lady Justice Thirlwall also criticised the ‘prolonged delay by senior managers in calling the police’.
The police were eventually contacted in May 2017, around a year after the death of baby P in June 2016, and despite the fact that Letby had already been removed from the neonatal unit, the Guardian reports.
The inquiry also found there was a complete failure at all levels to invoke safeguarding procedures at any point. Thirlwall said that looking for clinical or other explanations for the deaths and collapses was not wrong in itself, but that once there was suspicion Letby may be causing harm deliberately, safeguarding steps should have been taken.
Why it matters
The Thirlwall inquiry sets out how serious concerns about a healthcare worker went unaddressed, with the report finding some deaths might have been prevented. The government's response, including the urgent development of cot cameras, signals potential changes to how neonatal units are monitored and how safeguarding concerns are escalated across the NHS.
Frequently asked questions
What did the health secretary announce?
Yvette Cooper said officials have been asked to urgently develop plans to install cameras in neonatal units, and told the Commons the moment must 'be a turning point for the NHS'.
What did the Thirlwall inquiry find?
The inquiry found three babies may have survived if the hospital had acted over concerns about Lucy Letby, and identified a complete failure at all levels to invoke safeguarding procedures.
When were the police contacted?
According to the Guardian, police were eventually contacted in May 2017, around a year after the death of baby P in June 2016, and after Letby had already been removed from the neonatal unit.