UK Hospital Executives Arrested Over Baby Deaths Linked to Nurse Lucy Letby
Three former senior officials at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the deaths of infants murdered by nurse Lucy Letby.
Cheshire police confirmed on Tuesday that the individuals, who held leadership roles at the hospital between 2015 and 2016, were taken into custody as part of an ongoing investigation into how hospital management responded to the rising number of baby deaths.
The suspects have been released on bail pending further inquiries, authorities said.
Letby, 35, is currently serving 15 life sentences after being convicted in 2023 of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more between June 2015 and June 2016.
Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, the lead investigator, said the probe into potential corporate manslaughter began shortly after Letby’s conviction and has since expanded to include gross negligence manslaughter by individuals.
“This aspect of the investigation focuses on whether the actions—or inactions—of senior leaders contributed to the tragic outcomes,” Hughes stated. “These arrests are part of our commitment to fully explore all avenues of accountability.”
Police emphasized that the new investigation does not affect Letby’s convictions but aims to determine whether hospital leadership failed to act appropriately in the face of rising neonatal fatalities.
The Countess of Chester Hospital declined to comment, citing the ongoing Thirlwall Inquiry and police investigations.
Authorities are also reviewing other baby deaths and collapses that occurred at the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s Hospitals between 2012 and 2016, when Letby was employed as a neonatal nurse.
Letby has lost two appeals challenging her convictions and was found guilty in a retrial last October of an additional attempted murder.
Findings from the official public inquiry, led by Lady Justice Thirlwall, are expected to be released in early 2026.
