NMC statement in response to Thirlwall Inquiry report

Paul Rees MBE, Chief Executive and Registrar, said:  

“My thoughts today are with the babies that died or came to harm at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their families who have endured unimaginable suffering and pain.

“I am truly sorry for the NMC’s failings in the handling of the Letby case that stretch back to 2016.

“From the moment concerns about Letby were first brought to the NMC’s attention ten years ago we should have stepped up proactively, shown a sense of professional curiosity and triggered action at a senior level.

“We didn’t probe the information the hospital trust was giving us when the concerns were emerging in 2016 – we should have considered the possibility of deliberate harm much earlier than we did.

“We should have done more to understand what the hospital trust was doing in terms of safeguarding, to inform our own work to protect the public.

“We also did not act quickly enough to suspend Lucy Letby.

“Since then, we’ve strengthened our guidance on interim orders, clarifying to our decision-makers that they can seek to restrict or suspend a professional’s practice much earlier.

"Our regulatory teams now know to take a more proactive and inquisitive approach. There is now a strengthened multi-disciplinary peer review process so that we can identify and respond to potential risks at the earliest opportunity.

“Under new leadership, we’re driving significant organisational improvements and are committed to addressing the inquiry's recommendations. We’ll continue to report openly on the progress we make."

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