Inquests into the deaths of five babies whom Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering have been opened and adjourned.
HM senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish opened inquests on Wednesday into the deaths of Baby C, Baby E, Baby I, Baby O and Baby P.
The infants died at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 when Letby, 36, was employed as a nurse in the neonatal unit.
Brief summaries of the circumstances of each death, as initially referred to the coroner in 2015 and 2016, were read out by coroner’s officer Detective Inspector Darren Reid during the 20-minute hearing in Warrington.
He added that, following Letby’s convictions, it was requested that the inquests should be opened because there was reason to suspect an unnatural death.
Ms Devonish said she was satisfied each baby required an inquest and adjourned them to be held provisionally between 14 and 25 September, dependent on the outcome of the Thirlwall public inquiry.
Each inquest was formally suspended for three months until a review date on 5 May.
The inquest of Baby D, which was opened in January 2016, has also been suspended to the same date.
Lady Justice Thirlwall’s inquiry report into how the nurse was able to commit her crimes is due to be published after Easter.
An inquest into the death of Baby A was held in October 2016 in which a narrative conclusion was recorded which stated it could not be determined what caused the youngster’s collapse and subsequent death or whether it was due to a natural or unnatural event.
Letby, from Hereford, was removed from clinical duties in July 2016 after consultant paediatricians raised concerns that she may be deliberately harming babies, but those fears were not mentioned at Baby A’s inquest.
Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced it would not bring further charges against Letby.
Cheshire Constabulary had submitted files of evidence to consider alleged offences of murder and attempted murder related to two infants who died and seven who survived.
However, CPS chiefs concluded the evidential test was not met in any of the cases.
Letby was twice denied permission to appeal against her convictions in 2024.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence presented on her behalf from an international panel of medics who claim poor medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the babies collapsing.
