A CHILDREN'S nurse has been re-arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to kill nine in Cheshire.
Lucy Letby was quizzed over the deaths in 2018 but was released pending over further enquiries.
Who is Lucy Letby?
Lucy Letby, 30, is a children's nurse in The Counter of Chester Hospital.
In 2011 she graduated with a nursing degree fro Chester University.
Following her graduation, she worked at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
In 2018 Lucy was arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies in Chester Hospital.
What have cops said?
Last year Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, who is in charge of the investigation, said: "In July 2018 a healthcare professional was arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of 8 babies and the attempted murder of 6 babies at the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital.
"She was subsequently bailed pending further enquiries.
"As part of our ongoing investigation, we have today re-arrested the healthcare professional on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of 8 babies and the attempted murder of 6 babies.
"She has also been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of three additional babies.
"The woman is currently in custody helping officers with their enquiries."
Det Insp Paul Hughes said the investigation was "extremely challenging" and that parents of all the babies were being kept fully up to date.
"We fully appreciate that 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," he said.
"This is an extremely difficult time for all the families and it is important to remember that, at the heart of this, there are a number of bereaved families seeking answers as to what happened to their children."
Following Letby's rearrest in November 2020, Paul Hughes said: "It has been more than three years since we first launched an investigation into a number of baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital.
"In that time a dedicated team of detectives have been working extremely hard on this highly complex and very sensitive case doing everything they can as quickly as they can to identify what has led to these baby deaths and collapses."
"In July 2018, a healthcare professional was arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of eight babies and the attempted murder of six babies at the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital. She was subsequently bailed pending further enquiries.
"In June 2019, the healthcare professional was re-arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of eight babies and the attempted murder of six babies. She was also arrested in connection with the attempted murder of three additional babies.
"Today, as part of our ongoing enquiries, the healthcare professional has been re-arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the deaths of eight babies and the attempted murder of nine babies.
"The woman is currently in custody helping officers with their enquiries."
Why was an investigation launched?
Police launched a probe into the neo-natal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital in May 2017.
The hospital trust raised the alarm itself following the high number of fatalities between March 2015 and July 2016.
The death rate of babies at the hospital was over 10% the average death rate for maternity wards.
In 2013, two babies died at the Countess of Chester Hospital however in 2015, eight babies died.
Medics launched an internal inquiry after finding the premature babies had collapsed with heart and lung failure but were unusually impossible to resuscitate.
A report later found the babies developed strange blotches on their arms and legs after death.
Experts could not find a cause of death and police were called in to investigate in 2017.
When was Lucy Letby previously arrested?
Lucy Letby was first arrested on July 3, 2018, on suspicion of murdering eight babies at the hospital and attempted murder in relation to six others.
The cases involve families from Cheshire and North Wales.
Nearly a year later, on June 10, 2019, Letby was arrested again on the initial counts, as well as for the attempted murder of three additional babies.
Cheshire Police were probing the deaths of 17 infants between 2015 and 2016.
Letby’s arrest was part of a long inquiry into a higher than expected number of baby deaths at the Countess of Chester hospital over an 18 month period.
In November 2020, Letby was rearrested following a three-year investigation into the deaths of eight babies as well as the attempted murder of three further babies.
What has Letby said about her job?
In a previous interview with a local paper, Letby posed on a ward holding a babygro and described her love of the job.
She said: "I qualified as a Children’s Nurse from The University of Chester in 2011 and have been working on the unit since graduating.
"I also worked on the unit as a student nurse during my three years of training. My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support.
"Some are here for a few days, others for many months and I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families.
"I am currently undergoing extra training in order to develop and enhance my knowledge and skills within the Intensive Care area and have recently completed a placement at Liverpool Women’s Hospital."
When asked about the opening of a bigger neonatal unit, she said: "I hope the new unit will provide a greater degree of privacy and space."
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