Ms. Letby, 33, was convicted in August of seven murders and six attempted murders in the hospital’s neonatal unit after an 11-month trial. She was given a whole life order.
The trial heard managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital were initially wary of going to the police over the deaths which were later attributed to Ms. Letby.
Cheshire Constabulary launched Operation Hummingbird after they were finally called in, and Ms. Letby was arrested in 2018, but it was not until November 2020 she was charged with the murders.
Investigation Into ‘Decision Making’
He said: “The investigation will focus on the indictment period of the charges for Lucy Letby, from June 2015 to June 2016, and consider areas including senior leadership and decision making to determine whether any criminality has taken place. At this stage we are not investigating any individuals in relation to gross negligence manslaughter.”
Mr. Blackwell said: “The investigation is in the very early stages and we are unable to go into any further details or answer specific questions at this time. We recognise that this investigation will have a significant impact on a number of different stakeholders including the families in this case and we are continuing to work alongside and support them during this process.”
Ms. Letby killed and harmed the babies on her unit, often during night shifts, by injecting air or insulin or by smothering or squeezing them, according to prosecutors.
‘No Hiding Place for the Senior Management’
The parents of twins who Ms. Letby was convicted of harming issued a statement on Wednesday, which said: “We welcome the news this morning of corporate manslaughter charges against Countess Of Chester Hospital. Hopefully now there will be no hiding place for the senior management of that trust.”The statement added: “People who aided Letby to carry on her deeds need to be brought to justice. I’m sure the police will do this during their investigation and I’m grateful to them for all the dedicated support they have given us.”
Tamlin Bolton, a lawyer whose firm represents seven of the victim’s families, said: “This is significant news today. The families we represent have continued to request that senior management at the Countess of Chester Hospital be investigated and/or be part of investigations moving forward.”
“We are reassured that some steps are now being taken to consider the actions of management from a criminal perspective,” added Ms. Bolton.
Ms. Letby, who is originally from Hereford, is due to go on trial in that case in June next year.
A court order bans the identification of any of the surviving or dead children.
Ms. Letby has maintained her innocence throughout and last month she formally lodged an appeal against her convictions at the Court of Appeal in London.
She is only the fourth woman to have been given a whole life order, meaning she will die in prison.
