The Thirlwall inquiry, led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, is tasked with examining the events at the Countess of Chester hospital that allowed Lucy Letby to commit her crimes. The inquiry aims to provide answers for the families affected and to identify necessary changes to hospital governance and patient safety protocols.

However, the inquiry has faced criticism regarding its scope and its ability to address deeper institutional failures. Some observers draw parallels between this inquiry and the recent report by Chris Henley KC into the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson. Henley’s report highlighted a "deep-seated cultural reluctance" within the legal establishment to acknowledge that the criminal justice system can produce miscarriages of justice. Critics suggest that unless the Thirlwall inquiry confronts similar systemic biases, it may fail to answer the most significant questions regarding how such crimes were allowed to occur and persist.

While the inquiry focuses on the specific failures at the Countess of Chester, there is ongoing debate about whether the investigation is sufficiently equipped to challenge the institutional inertia that often prevents the legal system from admitting error. The central tension remains between the inquiry's mandate to review specific hospital events and the broader demand for a critical examination of the legal and medical systems that oversee such cases.