Prosecutors consider further charges against Letby

Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and tried to murder seven others, one of whom on two occasions

Prosecutors are considering bringing further charges against Lucy Letby following the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at hospitals where she worked.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed it had received evidence from Cheshire Police regarding alleged incidents at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Former neonatal nurse Letby, 35, is serving 15 life sentences for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others - one of whom on two occasions - at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.

Cheshire Police has been investigating other incidents going back to 2012, covering Letby's career and training in Liverpool.

Lucy Letby is serving 15 life sentences

The force said it had "submitted a full file of evidence to the CPS for charging advice".

Cheshire Police said the file regarded its "ongoing investigation into deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital as part of Operation Hummingbird".

Operation Hummingbird was set up after hospital bosses contacted the force in May 2017 to investigate an unexplained rise in incidents in the Countess of Chester's neonatal unit.

The number and exact nature of the potential new offences has not been revealed and it is not known how long it could take the CPS to decide whether to bring new charges.

A CPS spokesperson said: "We will now carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any further criminal charges should be brought.

"As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test."

Before charging a suspect, prosecutors have to be satisfied they have sufficient evidence for a "realistic prospect of conviction".

The Daily Mail reports that the government's most senior lawyers, including Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson and Attorney General Lord Hermer KC, will be involved in the decision-making process.

Lucy Letby used different methods to attack babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit

Letby, originally from Hereford, has always maintained her innocence.

She has lost two separate bids to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal.

Earlier this year her legal team, led by barrister Mark McDonald, submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which has the power to refer cases back to the Court of Appeal for a full hearing.

The application contained a report from a panel of 14 international experts in neonatology and paediatric care.

After reviewing evidence heard at Letby's trial, panel members concluded that they believed no babies had been deliberately harmed.

The CCRC said it was reviewing the application and could not give a timescale on when a decision would be reached.

Last month former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Letby's case should be "urgently re-examined" due to what he called "serious and credible" questions raised by the expert panel.

In response to the news that the CPS was considering more charges, Mr McDonald said the evidence of his client's innocence was "overwhelming".

"We will cross every bridge when we get to it but if Lucy is charged I know we have a whole army of internationally renowned medical experts who will totally undermine the prosecution's unfounded allegations," he added.

In an unrelated development, Cheshire Police on Tuesday announced that three former senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

They were questioned on Monday and released on bail, pending further investigation.

Meanwhile, a public inquiry into the circumstances around Letby's offending is due to publish its findings in early 2026.

The Thirlwall Inquiry examined events at the Countess of Chester Hospital as well as procedures and cultures within the NHS.