British police said they had arrested three members of the senior leadership team at the hospital where Lucy Letby, a nurse convicted of murdering babies worked, on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Letby, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
Police said corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter probes are continuing
Following her conviction, police began to investigate possible corporate manslaughter offences at the hospital, an inquiry that was later widened to consider if individuals might be guilty of gross negligence manslaughter.
Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Duet, said: "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.
"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."
Mr Hughes said in March this year 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," he said.
He added that 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 the ongoing enquiries, Mr Hughes said, on 30 June three individuals who were part of the senior leadership team at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 to 2016, "were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter".
The three unnamed figures were released on police bail pending further inquires, he said.
Mr Hughes said "both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are continuing", adding "there are no set timescales for these".
"Our investigation into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing," he added.
Additional reporting PA
