Image source, PA

The fourth day of the Thirlwall Inquiry in Liverpool is under way and our reporters are poised to bring you what they hear this morning.

However, the inquiry has not been broadcast or streamed in its entirety. Chairwoman Lady Justice Thirlwall prohibited much of it being broadcast due to concerns court orders preventing the identification of a number of people involved could be breached.

You'll be able to follow what happens today at the inquiry on this live page, so stick with us as we bring you updates and analysis throughout the day.

This is a distressing story, and upsetting details will be discussed over the course of this inquiry.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised by this case you can visit BBC Action Line for details of where support is available.

The third day of the Thirlwall Inquiry heard testimonies from legal representatives for the families of the victims, as well as other organisations including the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Here are some of the key lines:

• Richard Baker KC, representing the families of 12 children, said anyone doubting Letby's conviction should be "ashamed"
• He said babies' breathing tubes were dislodged at an unusually high rate during Lucy Letby's placements at the Liverpool Women's Hospital
• Peter Skelton KC, representing some of the families of other children, said “vital information was overlooked with fatal consequences" at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where Letby also worked
• Victims' families believe they were "kept in the dark" by the hospital
• A barrister for the hospital apologised "without reservation" for its failures in communication, and promised changes had been implemented
• The NMC said it accepted it wasn’t right to wait to apply for an interim order until Letby was charged, which would have prevented her from practising as a nurse
• The RCPCH apologised for not sharing an unredacted report with paediatricians into why more babies were dying in the neonatal unit

Image source, Elizabeth Cook / PA

Lucy Letby was convicted in August 2023 of killing seven babies in her care and attempting to kill seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.

Her murder trial last year was one of the longest in British legal history, following a six-year police investigation. There was one count of attempted murder that a jury wasn’t able to reach a verdict on, but a subsequent retrial on this count found her guilty.

She’s been sentenced to 15 whole life terms and will die in prison.

Letby’s two separate applications to appeal her convictions have been denied.

Image source, Cheshire Constabulary / Reuters

Lucy Letby was born on 4 January 1990 and grew up in Hereford with her parents before going on to study nursing at university.

She went on to work full-time at the Countess of Chester Hospital in January 2012 and qualified to work with intensive care babies in the spring of 2015.

In September 2016, Letby was officially informed in a letter from the Royal College of Nursing that she was under investigation over the deaths of babies.

She was arrested for the first time in July 2018 following an investigation by Cheshire Police that, at its height, involved nearly 70 officers and civilian staff.

Letby was later convicted for killing seven babies in her care and attempting to murder seven others.

At today's session we're expecting to hear from legal representatives for former senior managers at the NHS and from the Care Quality Commission, which is the body that regulates the NHS.

We're resuming our coverage of the Thirlwall Inquiry in Liverpool this morning as it begins its fourth day shortly.

This inquiry is not a retrial of Lucy Letby - its aim is to examine what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital following the conviction of its former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby for murder and attempted murder of babies there.

As a reminder, the inquiry is investigating three areas, external:

1. The experiences of the Countess of Chester Hospital - where Letby worked - and other relevant NHS services, and all the parents of the babies named in the indictment.
2. Employees' conduct at the hospital, including the board, managers, doctors, nurses, and midwives with regard to Letby's actions.
3. The effectiveness of NHS management and governance structures and processes, external scrutiny and professional regulation in keeping babies in hospital safe and well looked after.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates as they happen today.