Healthwatch England statement on Thirlwall Inquiry

The Thirlwall Inquiry yesterday [15 September] published its findings into the experiences of parents affected by Lucy Letby’s crimes, the conduct of Countess of Chester Hospital staff and managers and the effectiveness of wider NHS management, governance, scrutiny, and regulation.

Ahead of a full Government response to the inquiry’s 17 recommendations, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told Parliament she accepted the need for regulation of NHS managers, staff culture change, video cameras in neonatal units, and improved national oversight through a new maternity and neonatal commissioner.

Responding, Healthwatch England’s acting chief executive, Chris McCann, said:

“We extend our sympathies to the families affected by Letby’s crimes for yet again having to relive their losses and being confronted by the full extent of NHS failings.

“In our written submission to the inquiry, we reiterated our long-held position of the need for an open and responsive NHS culture across all services, not just in pockets of the country. Some health leaders still reflexively adopt defensiveness positions to protect reputations, instead of welcoming concerns and complaints from patients, families and staff as early warning signs, and being transparent about mistakes and actions they’ll take to correct them.

“Improvements and safeguards must now be co-designed with families and people with lived experience, and resourced and tracked nationally.  This is vital to prevent the Thirlwall Inquiry report from joining the growing stack of patient safety publications that quietly gather dust, with no lasting impact.”