UK Nurse Lucy Letby Arrested Again as Police Investigate 17 Baby Deaths: Reports

A file photo in a hospital. (Gerry Broome/AP)

An English nurse was again arrested in connection to baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neo-natal unit.

According to the BBC, nurse Lucy Letby was first arrested in July 2018 on the suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six babies.

Letby on June 10 was arrested in connection with the attempted murder of three others, police told the broadcaster.

“As part of our ongoing investigation we have today (Monday, June 10) re-arrested the healthcare professional on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of eight babies and the attempted murder of six babies,” Detective Inspector Paul Hughes told Cheshire Live. “She has also been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of three additional babies.”

It comes as police in Cheshire are investigating the deaths of 17 infants and 16 non-fatal collapses in 2015 and 2016. Letby was released last year on bail pending further investigations, according to The Guardian.

Hughes said that the nurse was in police custody and is helping officers. Police also carried out searches at her home on June 10, the report said.

Letby had worked at the hospital for seven years and was training to work with infants when she was arrested in July. She was suspended a year earlier and had been removed from clinical work in the hospital, the Guardian reported.

Hughes told the paper: “I would like to reassure people that we are doing everything we can as quickly as we can to identify what has led to these baby deaths and collapses. Due to the nature of this investigation it is extremely challenging but it is important to remember that it is very much active and ongoing—there are no set timescales and we remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation as soon as possible.”

“It continues to have a big impact on all those involved, including the families of the babies, staff, and patients at the hospital as well as members of the public,” Hughes elaborated.

He said that the parents of the babies who died or were harmed are being “kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers.”

A spokesperson for the Countess of Chester Hospital said it is “cooperating fully” with the investigation, the BBC reported.

One friend of the nurse described her as a “professional” who was dedicated to her “dream job” and “wouldn’t hurt a fly,” News.com.au reported.

The anonymous woman said, “Lucy was doing the job she dreamt of doing and appeared nothing but dedicated and professional.”

A neighbor added: “I knew her when she was a little girl and she was as sweet as anything. I’ve seen her grow up and she seemed a lovely woman,” according to the news website. “So this news is deeply and utterly shocking. I can’t fathom it.”