Senior hospital boss arrested in investigation linked to Lucy Letby case

A former senior leader at the Countess of Chester hospital was arrested on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

The arrest is part of Operation Duet, an ongoing investigation into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter linked to the hospital's neonatal unit.

Cheshire Police confirmed the arrest but did not disclose the age or gender of the individual.

The suspect is one of three former hospital bosses previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in June 2025.

The arrested individual was detained following a search warrant executed at a property connected to the investigation.

The searches have now concluded, and the suspect has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Operation Duet was launched in October 2023 after the conviction of Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse at the hospital, who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others between 2015 and 2016.

Letby is serving a whole-life prison sentence but denies the allegations and is seeking to challenge her convictions through the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

The investigation focuses on senior leadership and decision-making at the Countess of Chester hospital to determine whether any criminality occurred in response to the increased number of infant deaths in the neonatal unit.

In March 2025, the inquiry was expanded to include gross negligence manslaughter concerning individual actions.

Cheshire Police stated that both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are ongoing with no set timescales for completion.

The inquiry also examines whether any grossly negligent action or inaction by hospital leaders contributed to the fatalities.

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