Police have said that staff at the hospital where nurse killer Lucy Letby worked could face charges of manslaughter due to gross negligence.
Cheshire Police said the suspects had been identified and briefed in connection with investigations into the deaths of newborn babies, which occurred between 2012 and 2016.
Letby, 35, from Hereford, UK, is serving 15 life sentences after being found guilty in two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more, including two attempts on one of her victims between June 2015 and June 2016.
Police had previously said they were investigating manslaughter at the hospital, but on Thursday they said they were expanding the investigation to manslaughter by gross negligence.
A police statement said: “In October 2023, following a lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Police launched a manslaughter investigation at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
“The investigation is focusing on senior management and their decision-making to establish whether any crimes took place in response to the increased death rate.
“As our investigation has developed, the scope has now expanded to include manslaughter by gross negligence.”
The statement said: “This is a separate offence from organisational manslaughter and involves the gross negligence or omission of individuals.
“It is important to stress that this will not affect Lucy Letby's convictions for multiple murders and attempted murders.
“People identified as suspects have been notified. We will not be releasing the number of people involved or their names as there have been no arrests or charges filed at this time.
“The investigations into both manslaughter by gross misuse of office and manslaughter by gross negligence are ongoing and no time limit has been set for them.
“Our investigation into deaths and non-fatal syncope of newborn babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital between 2012 and 2016 is also ongoing.
“Our primary concern is to maintain the integrity of ongoing investigations and provide support to the many families at the centre of these cases.”
Last month, an international group of neonatologists and pediatricians reported that fainting spells and deaths were due to poor medical care and natural causes.
Their details have been passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is investigating potential miscarriages of justice, and Letby's legal team hope her case will be returned to the Court of Appeal.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
