Now second hospital to probe nurse arrested over baby deaths
A NURSE arrested in connection with the alleged multiple murders of newborns at a premature baby unit is being investigated by a second NHS hospital, it emerged yesterday.
Detectives continue to question ‘dedicated’ children’s nurse Lucy Letby, 28, as part of their inquiry into the deaths of 17 babies at Countess of Chester Hospital.
And it was also revealed bosses at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Miss Letby went on a training placement in 2013, were co- operating with the police probe and reviewing the care of patients she came into contact with.
The trust – where Coleen Rooney gave birth to her four sons – stressed there was no evidence any child had come to harm.
Miss Letby, who has worked at the Countess of Chester for the past eight years, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of the murder of eight children and the attempted murder of another six.
Since then, more mothers have contacted police with concerns regarding their babies’ care. A tearful relative of one of the alleged victims, who survived, said the child’s parents were struggling to cope with developments.
The boy, now two, suffered an unexpected collapse after being born prematurely at the Chester unit. The family member said: ‘The police were at his mother’s house on Tuesday. They are investigating his case. It’s so upsetting, the family have been through so much. I’ve no idea if this nurse was involved, but the baby has ongoing health problems.’
Detectives launched their investigation last May after a report highlighted a higher-than-usual number of deaths on the Chester neo-natal unit. Consultants had noticed a ‘sudden mottling’ on the bodies of babies, who had unexpectedly deteriorated. Many parents voiced fears on social media after recognising Miss Letby when her name and picture began circulating in the news.
One mother, Victoria Whitfield, 39, said she had contacted Cheshire Police to see if there was any connection with the sudden collapse of her daughter Felicity in November 2013.
The mother of four, from Blacon, Chester, said Felicity had become seriously ill with a collapsed lung at the neo-natal unit.
Miss Whitfield’s daughter was born nine weeks early by Caesarean section and – despite her small size – appeared to be doing well and had been feeding fine for two days. But then ‘her lungs had suddenly collapsed and there was no reason for it’, the mother said.
She added that while they were lucky Felicity was now fine, ‘we have questions about what happened and hopefully the police will be able to provide some answers in their investigations’.
Another mother, whose son apparently fell ill while receiving care on the unit in 2012 called for
‘Lungs suddenly collapsed’
the timeframe of the police investigation to be widened.
It currently focuses on the deaths of 17 babies, plus 15 nonfatal collapses, between March 2015 and July 2016.
A third mother, a married 36year-old whose son was born ten weeks premature, said she too planned to contact the hospital and police. Her son also suffered a collapsed lung on the Chester unit in 2012. She said: ‘We need to know whether what happened to our son was the result of foul play, and there will be many more parents in the same boat as us.’
Pictures have emerged of Miss Letby, who fronted a £3million campaign for the Countess of Chester neo-natal unit, guzzling cocktails on nights out and posing on a stripper’s pole.
Only child Miss Letby – described as awkward but kind-hearted - was detained at her modern semidetached home, a mile from the hospital, in Chester, early on Tuesday morning. A blue forensic tent remained outside and police continued to search the premises yesterday, removing computer equipment and other bags of evidence.
Plain clothed officers were also seen at her parents’ property in Hereford on Tuesday. One friend of Miss Letby’s described her as a ‘professional nurse’ who was dedicated to her ‘dream job’ and ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly’.
Yesterday Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘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 in relation to this investigation.’