Three senior staff who worked at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others have been arrested by police on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Letby, 35, was a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) when she targeted babies on its neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016. She is now serving 15 whole life prison sentences.
This week, three members of the senior leadership team who were at the hospital during the same period were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, Cheshire Constabulary said on Tuesday.
The arrests come as part of an investigation into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter at the hospital. The three ex-staff members were arrested on Monday and have all since been bailed pending further inquiries.
Letby attacked her victims by various means while working at the hospital. One method was injecting air into baby’s bloodstream that caused an air embolism and blocked the blood supply, leading to sudden and unexpected collapses.
Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, senior investigating officer for Operation Duet, said the investigation initially looked into corporate manslaughter, with the focus on senior leadership and their decision-making in response to the increased levels of deaths at the hospital
In March, he said, it was widened to look at potential gross negligence manslaughter, with attention turning on potential “grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals”.
He said: “As part of our ongoing enquiries, on Monday 30 June three individuals who were part of the senior leadership team at the CoCH in 2015-2016, were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
“All three have subsequently been bailed pending further enquiries.
“Both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are continuing and there are no set timescales for these.”
The force’s review of the care of some 4,000 babies admitted to hospital while Letby was working as a neonatal nurse remains ongoing.
In 2023, at Manchester Crown Court, a jury found Letby guilty of seven murders and seven attempted murders. Last year, at a retrial, the former nurse was found guilty of a further attempted murder charge, having made two attempts to kill one child.
A whole-life order in place means Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison with no minimum term or chance of early release.
Last year, a Thirlwall Inquiry was started to look into how Letby was able to commit her crimes, with evidence heard from former co-workers of Letby at the hospital, as well as senior management.
A report will be published as part of the inquiry next year.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence presented by Letby’s legal team from an international panel of medics.
The legal team claims that poor medical care and natural causes were to blame for the babies collapsing at the neonatal unit.
Speaking today, Letby’s barrister, Mark McDonald, reiterated calls for a full public inquiry into alleged “failings” at the hospital. “What is needed is a proper and full public inquiry into the failings of the neonatal and paediatric medical care unit at the Countess of Chester hospital,” he said.
Lawyers for the families of Letby’s victims, however, have dismissed the findings, calling them a “rehash” of the defence case heard at trial.
Following the announcement on the arrests, Det Supt Hughes added: “It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.”
