Police arrest nurse over hospital deaths

A NURSE was last night being questioned on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of three patients at a hospital.

Rebecca Leighton, 27, was arrested at her home in Stockport, Manchester, at 6am yesterday, in connection to the unexplained deaths of Tracey Arden, 44, George Keep, 84 and Arnold Lancaster, 71,

She is alleged to have deliberately contaminated their saline solution with insulin at Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said last night a fourth patient, a man in his 40s, was critically ill.

Crime scene investigators have searched the suspect's flat, which is situated above a shop in Buxton Road, Heaviley, about a mile from where she works.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) confirmed that Leighton had been arrested.

Its chief executive, Professor Dickon Weir-Hugh, said: "The NMC has now received confirmation from the Greater Manchester Police Force intelligence branch and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust that registered nurse Rebecca Leighton has been arrested and is being questioned by the police.

"We have commenced fitness-to-practise proceedings with a view to suspending her from the register as quickly as possible.

"The NMC is the only organisation with the authority to protect the public by suspending a nurse's registration while they are under investigation. We are unable to provide further comment about the details."

The nurse's flat remained sealed off last night, with two uniformed police officers standing at the front door and two more watching from the opposite side of the street.

Neighbours said they thought Leighton lived there alone, but was frequently seen with a boyfriend or heading to work in her blue scrubs.

A man who works at a nearby shop said he often saw her leaving for work as he was locking up for the night.

He said: "She would say hello or wave, but we never talked and I never knew her other than in passing. I wasn't here when she was arrested this morning but a load of police returned at 12:45pm and they have been in there ever since."

A team of 60 detectives have questioned more than 50 staff at the hospital, with wards A1 and A3 the centre of the complex investigation.

The treatment of ten other patients, who were affected by the contaminated batch of saline from 7 July, but have since recovered, is also being investigated.Detectives were called in last week after an experienced nurse reported a higher than normal number of patients on her ward with "unexplained" low blood sugar levels, pointing to saline ampoules being sabotaged.

Officers found insulin had contaminated a batch of 36 saline ampoules in a store room close to ward A1l.

The results of further pathology tests, to find out if the insulin contributed to the fatalities, are being awaited.

Inquests into the deaths of all three patients were opened and adjourned by South Manchester coroner John Pollard yesterday.

Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Ian Hopkins said that "at the moment" the investigation was concentrating on the 14 patients who may have come to harm.