Three senior members of Lucy Letby's hospital team arrested

Three senior members of staff at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others. The people detained are understood to have worked on the senior leadership team at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. They are now being questioned. "In October 2023 following the lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Constabulary launched an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital," Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Duet, said.

"This focuses on senior leadership and their decision making to determine whether any criminality has taken place concerning the response to the increased levels of fatalities. In March 2025 the scope of the investigation widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter. This is a separate offence to corporate manslaughter and focuses on the grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals.

"It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.

"As part of our ongoing enquiries, on Monday 30th 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.

"Our investigation into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing."

It comes after former health secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt called for an "urgent re-examination" of the Letby case, just months after he apologised to the families of her victims at a public inquiry.

He said: "If Letby really did kill seven babies in their cots and attempted to kill seven more, no punishment short of the death penalty is too harsh, but if they were caused by professional shortcomings, we need to know why.

"More than anything else, we need to make sure other families don't have to go through the same tragedy"