Inquests into deaths of five babies murdered by Lucy Letby have been opened and adjourned.
They are looking into the deaths of Baby C, Baby E, Baby I, Baby O and Baby P. They all died at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 when Letby worked as a nurse in the neo-natal unit.
A brief summary of the circumstances of each death was read out during the 20-minute hearing in Warrington.
Senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish said that she was satisfied each child needed an inquest, and provisionally scheduled the hearings for September, dependent on the outcome of the Thirlwall Inquiry.
The public inquiry into how Letby was able to commit the murders is due to be published after Easter.
Ms Devonish suspended each of the five inquests until a review date on 5 May.
Baby D’s inquest, which was opened in January 2016, was suspended until the same date.
Another inquest – into the death of Baby A – was held in October 2016, and reached a narrative conclusion, stating it could not be determined what caused the death and whether it was due to a natural or unnatural event.
Letby, 36, is serving multiple whole-life sentences for murdering seven babies, and trying to kill seven more.
Prosecutors decided last month that she wouldn’t face further charges after police submitted evidence related to nine other children, two of whom died.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the evidential test hadn’t been met in any of the cases.
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Letby, from Hereford, has twice been denied permission to appeal against her 2024 convictions.
However, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence submitted on her behalf by medical experts that suggests poor care and natural causes were to blame for the deaths.
