Image caption Police have been investigating neonatal deaths between March 2015 and July 2016

A healthcare professional has been arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to kill six others at a hospital.

Cheshire Police said the woman's arrest was a significant step forward in an investigation into deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Officers have been investigating the deaths of 17 newborns at the neonatal unit between March 2015 and July 2016.

A spokesman said the probe also covered 15 "non-fatal collapses".

The cases being investigated involve families from the Cheshire and north Wales area.

Image caption Police officers are searching a house and a car in Westbourne Road, Chester

The Countess of Chester declined to comment on whether any staff had been suspended and Cheshire Police would not reveal the role of the healthcare professional within the hospital.

Police have confirmed they are searching a property in Westbourne Road, Chester, about a mile from the hospital, in connection with the investigation.

Neighbours said a woman lived at the house and had moved in about two years ago.

Det Insp Paul Hughes said the investigation was highly complex and very sensitive and officers were doing "everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses".

Image copyright Dennis Turner/Geograph Image caption The hospital says the neonatal unit was "safe to continue in its current form" and remained open to women over 32 weeks in their pregnancy

He said there were "no set timescales for this coming to a conclusion but we remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation as soon as possible".

"Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported.

"This is an extremely difficult time and it is important to remember that there are bereaved families seeking answers as to what happened to their children."

Police were asked to investigate the deaths of eight babies in May 2017, a probe which has since widened to include nine more.

Analysis: By Daniel Wainwright, BBC England data unit

In 2017 the Countess of Chester was among 21 hospitals called upon to investigate higher than average death rates.

Authors of the MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK) report looked at stillbirths and neonatal deaths around the UK in 2015.

They found the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had a neonatal death rate of 1.91 for every 1,000 live births that year.

This was the highest out of the 43 trusts of a similar size it was compared with, which had an average of 1.27 neonatal deaths for every 1,000 live births.

There were also 5.42 extended perinatal deaths - deaths within four weeks - for every 1,000 births, including stillbirths. The average for similar sized maternity units was 4.73 deaths per 1,000 births.

The rate declined in 2016 but was still among the highest in the group.

Hospital medical director Ian Harvey said asking police to investigate the deaths had not been "something we did lightly, but we need to do everything we can to understand what has happened".

He added the neonatal unit was "safe to continue in its current form" and remained open to women over 32 weeks in their pregnancy.

The unit has 13 cots providing specialist care for about 400 newborn and premature babies born at 32 weeks and above each year.

It stopped providing care for those born earlier than 32 weeks in July 2016 after the hospital reported "a greater number of baby deaths and collapses than normally expected".

A review by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health the following February said no "definitive explanation" had been found for the increase in mortality rates at the neonatal unit and there were no "obvious factors" linking the deaths.

An inspection of the hospital by the Care Quality Commission in 2016 found the unit's nursing staff levels "did not meet standards recommended by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine" and it "lacked storage space and resources" for effective infection control.</s>Woman arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies at Countess of Chester Hospital in UK

A female healthcare professional in England has been arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies and the attempted murder of another six babies.

In a statement, Cheshire Police said the woman was arrested early on Tuesday (local time) and remained in custody.

The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, south of Liverpool.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes said when the investigation was first launched in May 2017 it was focusing on the deaths of 15 babies that occurred between June 2015 and June 2016.

"Since the start of our enquiries and, as the information-gathering process has continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened," Detective Inspector Hughes said.

"We are now currently investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016."

Countess of Chester Hospital medical director Ian Harvey said the hospital was continuing to support police with their ongoing investigation.

"Asking the police to look into this was not something we did lightly, but we need to do everything we can to understand what has happened here and get the answers we and the families so desperately want," he said.</s>A FEMALE healthcare worker in England has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six.

A FEMALE healthcare worker in England has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six.

The arrest comes as part of a long-running investigation following a high number of baby deaths at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire.

Detectives launched an investigation in May last year, initially looking at the deaths of 15 babies between June 2015 and June 2016.

On Tuesday, police said they had made an arrest and the probe had widened.

Detectives said they are looking into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.

Police have not said if the arrested woman is a nurse, doctor or other health professional.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, in charge of the investigation for Cheshire Police, said: "The investigation into the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital is continuing.

"Since it was first launched in May 2017, a dedicated team of detectives have been working tirelessly on this case.

"This is a highly complex and very sensitive investigation and, as you can appreciate, we need to ensure we do everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses.

"When the investigation was first launched it was focusing on the deaths of 15 babies that occurred between the period of June 2015 and June 2016.

"In addition the investigation was also conducting a review of six non-fatal collapses during the same period.

"Since the start of our inquiries and as the information gathering process has continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened. We are now currently investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016.

"Due to the nature of the case and as part of our ongoing inquiries, we have consulted with a number of medical specialists to ensure that we carry out as thorough an investigation as possible. We have also spoken to a large number of people to gather as much information as we can.

"As a result of our ongoing inquiries we have today arrested a healthcare professional in connection with the investigation.

"She was arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of murder in relation to eight of the babies and attempted murder in relation to six of the babies and is currently in custody.

"Whilst this is a significant step forward in our inquiries it is important to remember that the investigation is very much active and ongoing at this stage.

"There are no set timescales for this coming to a conclusion but we remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation as soon as possible.

"We recognise that this investigation has a huge impact on all of the families, staff and patients at the hospital as well as members of the public.

"Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers."

The hospital carried out a number of independent expert medical reviews into the deaths before calling in police.

Medical director Ian Harvey said: "We are continuing to support Cheshire Police with their ongoing investigation.

"Asking the police to look into this was not something we did lightly, but we need to do everything we can to understand what has happened here and get the answers we and the families so desperately want.

"The Countess is now equivalent to a Level 1 special care baby unit and we are confident the unit is safe to continue in its current form."

A report published in July 2016 by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) found significant gaps in medical and nursing rotas and insufficient staffing for the provision of longer term high dependency and some intensive care.

The RCPCH report said paediatric consultants had been concerned since June 2015 about a higher than usual number of deaths on the ward, several of which were "unexplained" or "unexpected".</s>A healthcare worker has been arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies, police said.

The woman is also accused of the attempted murder of a further six babies.

Cheshire Police said the arrest was made following an investigation at the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.</s>LONDON — Police on Tuesday arrested a “healthcare professional” on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to kill six other infants as part of “Operation Hummingbird,” an inquiry into the sudden and unexplained deaths of 17 babies at a top-tier public hospital in Britain.

The female suspect worked at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital south of Liverpool.

Detectives were brought into the case following the mysterious deaths of 17 babies at the hospital between March 2015 and July 2016, alongside 15 “non-fatal collapses.”

“Asking the police to look into this was not something we did lightly, but we need to do everything we can to understand what has happened here and get the answers we and the families so desperately want,” said Ian Harvey, medical director at Countess of Chester Hospital.

“We are continuing to support Cheshire Police with their ongoing investigation,” he added in a statement, noting the hospital supports the equivalent to a “Level 1 Special Care Baby Unit.”

“We are confident the unit is safe to continue in its current form,” Harvey said.

Police released few details about the ongoing investigation, which began in May 2017 following a spike in baby deaths at the hospital but said they are working alongside doctors and medical experts to understand the causes of death.

“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,” said Cheshire Police Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, who is in charge of the investigation.

Hughes called the investigation “highly complex and very sensitive” and said his detective team were doing “everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses.”

He appealed to the public for any relevant information.</s>The police on Tuesday arrested a British female healthcare worker on suspicion of murdering eight babies and trying to murder six others after an investigation into deaths at a neonatal unit in northern England, police said on Tuesday.

The arrest came after an inquiry into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 “non-fatal collapses” between March 2015 and July 2016 at The Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.

“This is a highly complex and very sensitive investigation and, as you can appreciate, we need to ensure we do everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses,” said Detective Inspector Paul Hughes in a statement.

 Police, who launched their investigation in May last year, would not give further details about the arrested woman, who was simply described as a healthcare professional.

Hughes said the investigation was still “very much active”.

“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,” he added.

The hospital said it was supporting detectives with their investigation, adding it was confident that the baby unit was “safe to continue in its current form”.

“Asking the police to look into this was not something we did lightly, but we need to do everything we can to understand what has happened here ..,” the hospital’s Medical Director Ian Harvey said. (Reuters/NAN)</s>A female healthcare worker has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six after an investigation of the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

A female healthcare worker has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six after an investigation of the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The arrest comes as part of a long-running investigation following a high number of baby deaths at the hospital.

Detectives launched an investigation in May last year, initially looking at the deaths of 15 babies between June 2015 and June 2016.

On Tuesday police said they had made an arrest and the probe had widened.

Detectives said they are looking into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.

Police have not said if the arrested woman is a nurse, doctor or other health professional.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, in charge of the investigation for Cheshire Police, said: "The investigation into the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital is continuing.

"Since it was first launched in May 2017, a dedicated team of detectives have been working tirelessly on this case.

"This is a highly complex and very sensitive investigation and, as you can appreciate, we need to ensure we do everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses.

"When the investigation was first launched it was focusing on the deaths of 15 babies that occurred between the period of June 2015 and June 2016.

"In addition the investigation was also conducting a review of six non-fatal collapses during the same period.

"Since the start of our inquiries and as the information gathering process has continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened. We are now currently investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016.

"Due to the nature of the case and as part of our ongoing inquiries, we have consulted with a number of medical specialists to ensure that we carry out as thorough an investigation as possible. We have also spoken to a large number of people to gather as much information as we can.

"As a result of our ongoing inquiries we have today arrested a healthcare professional in connection with the investigation.

"She was arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of murder in relation to eight of the babies and attempted murder in relation to six of the babies and is currently in custody.

"Whilst this is a significant step forward in our inquiries it is important to remember that the investigation is very much active and ongoing at this stage.

"There are no set timescales for this coming to a conclusion but we remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation as soon as possible.

"We recognise that this investigation has a huge impact on all of the families, staff and patients at the hospital as well as members of the public.

"Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers."</s>British police on Tuesday arrested a female healthcare worker suspected of murdering eight babies and attempting to murder six more after an investigation into deaths at a neo-natal hospital unit.

The investigation into The Countess of Chester Hospital in the northwestern English city of Chester began last year and is focusing on the deaths of 17 babies between March 2015 and July 2016.

Police are also probing 15 non-fatal collapses of babies at the unit over the same period.

"As a result of our ongoing enquiries we have today arrested a healthcare professional in connection with the investigation," Cheshire police said in a statement, calling the arrest "a significant step forward in our enquiries".

"She was arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of murder in relation to eight of the babies and attempted murder in relation to six of the babies and is currently in custody," it said.

Police said the investigation, dubbed "Operation Hummingbird", was still "very much active and ongoing at this stage".

"Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers," the statement said.</s>A female healthcare worker has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six after an investigation of the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The arrest comes as part of a long-running investigation following a high number of baby deaths at the hospital.

Detectives launched an investigation in May last year, initially looking at the deaths of 15 babies between June 2015 and June 2016.

On Tuesday police said they had made an arrest and the probe had widened.

Detectives said they are looking into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.

Police have not said if the arrested woman is a nurse, doctor or other health professional.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, in charge of the investigation for Cheshire Police, said: "The investigation into the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital is continuing.

"Since it was first launched in May 2017, a dedicated team of detectives have been working tirelessly on this case.

"This is a highly complex and very sensitive investigation and, as you can appreciate, we need to ensure we do everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses.</s>A female healthcare worker is under arrest on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six babies after an investigation of the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Cheshire Police said.

The arrest comes as part of a long-running police investigation following a high number of baby deaths at the hospital, initially between June 2015 and June 2016.

Police say the investigation has since widened and they are now looking into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016.

Police have not said if the arrested woman is a nurse, doctor or other health professional.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, who is in charge of the investigation, said: "The investigation into the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital is continuing. Since it was first launched in May 2017, a dedicated team of detectives have been working tirelessly on this case.

"This is a highly complex and very sensitive investigation and, as you can appreciate, we need to ensure we do everything we possibly can to try to establish in detail what has led to these baby deaths and collapses.

"When the investigation was first launched it was focusing on the deaths of 15 babies that occurred between the period of June 2015 and June 2016.

"In addition the investigation was also conducting a review of six non-fatal collapses during the same period.

"Since the start of our enquiries and, as the information gathering process has continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened. We are now currently investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016.

"Due to the nature of the case and, as part of our ongoing enquiries, we have consulted with a number of medical specialists to ensure that we carry out as thorough an investigation as possible. We have also spoken to a large number of people to gather as much information as we can.

"As a result of our ongoing enquiries we have today arrested a healthcare professional in connection with the investigation. She was arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of murder in relation to eight of the babies and attempted murder in relation to six of the babies and is currently in custody.

"Whilst this is a significant step forward in our enquiries it is important to remember that the investigation is very much active and ongoing at this stage. There are no set timescales for this coming to a conclusion but we remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation as soon as possible.

"We recognise that this investigation has a huge impact on all of the families, staff, and patients at the hospital as well as members of the public. Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers. 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.

"At this stage we are unable to go into any further details about the investigation but as soon as we are able to provide any further updates we will do.

"If anyone has any information that they want to pass onto the investigation team they are encouraged to get in touch via the Operation Hummingbird mailbox at operation.hummingbird@cheshire.pnn.police.uk
Cheshire Police in England arrest a female healthcare professional on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to murder six more at Countess of Chester Hospital.