Second hospital in baby death police inquiry

A SECOND hospital is co-operating with a police inquiry into the deaths of 17 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.

Lucy Letby, 28, continues to be questioned in custody on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of six other infants.

Officers arrived at the nurse’s home in Chester on Tuesday and several hours later police announced a female healthcare professional had been arrested as part of the “highly complex and very sensitive investigation”.

Police are said to have arrived at Ms Letby’s home at around 6am, while officers were also seen at her parents’ property in Hereford later on Tuesday.

It is understood that Ms Letby worked at the Countess of Chester after she graduated as a children’s nurse from the University of Chester in 2011 and went on to complete a work placement at Liverpool Women’s Hospital as part of extra training.

On Wednesday, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: “A healthcare worker currently involved in a police investigation undertook placements at Liverpool Women’s during their training.

“We are co-operating with police as part of their investigation which includes a routine review of patients cared for on our neonatal unit during the time of these placements.

“There is currently no suggestion that any patients at Liverpool Women’s came to any harm.”

A blue tent erected by police remained outside the front of Ms Letby’s semi-detached property in Westbourne Road, Blacon, with a uniformed officer stationed nearby.