The chair of the inquiry into former Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has announced a preliminary meeting will be held this month at Chester Racecourse.

Previously, we reported on the launch of the Thirlwall Inquiry, chaired by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, which is expected to begin later this year.

It was set up following Letby being convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempting to kill six more at the hospital's neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby has always denied wrongdoing and judgment on an application to appeal the convictions is to be announced by the Court of Appeal at an upcoming date. A retrial on one count of attempted murder is also due to take place in Manchester next month.

The meeting, on Thursday, May 16, will give a procedural update on the work of the inquiry since it launched on November 22, 2023.

A limited number of spaces are available for members of the public who wish to attend the event, which will begin at 11am (doors open 10am).

The public will be seated in a hearing viewing gallery, with screens showing a live-stream to the hearing room. A transcript will be available on the Thirlwall Inquiry website after the hearing.

Those attending are reminded that reporting restrictions preventing the publication of identifying any of the babies on the original trial indictment, and a small number of medical professionals, remain active and all visitors must comply with the court orders.

The inquiry also recognises the subject matter of the inquiry will be emotionally challenging for many, and anyone affected by the issues can seek support on the Thirlwall Inquiry support page, which has links to a number of organisations: https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/help-and-information/support/

Limited places are available by booking at https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/hearing/first-preliminary-hearing-thursday-16-may-2024/

The Thirlwall Inquiry is expected to begin later this year in Chester, at a venue to be announced. It will examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their implications.

Former hospital bosses have been named as 'core participants' in the inquiry, including former chief executive Tony Chambers, who left the hospital trust in 2018, former medical director Ian Harvey, who retired in August 2018, former director of nursing Alison Kelly and former HR director Sue Hodkinson.