UK - Nurse, 28, arrested on suspicion of poisoning three children, Birmingham Children's Hospital, 28 Aug 2023

[imstilla.grandma]

The sudden and unexpected deaths of three children were identified at a hospital where a nurse was arrested on suspicion of poisoning, it was claimed today.

The NHS trust running Birmingham Children's Hospital - home to Britain's largest paediatric intensive care unit - has been running a review into cases of patients being treated there from January 2022.

Findings, which include the sudden and unexpected deaths of three children, have since been passed to police, the Times reports.

In one case in May last year, health staff are said to have raised concerns when a child's condition rapidly deteriorated, before being pronounced dead the following day.

A 28-year-old nurse was arrested by West Midlands Police on suspicion of administering a poison with intent to endanger life.

She has since been suspended by the trust, and the industry regulation, meaning she is unable to work as a nurse elsewhere.

The families of patients whose cases are being reviewed have also been told of the findings.

‌Dr Fiona Reynolds, chief medical officer at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'In May 2022, a child on the paediatric intensive care unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly.

‌'Due to the circumstances of the deterioration, the trust acted straight away.

‌'A member of staff was suspended from work and subsequently arrested at home. Sadly, the child later died and our thoughts remain with the family.'

Sudden deaths of three children 'at hospital where nurse was arrested'

The NHS trust running Birmingham Children's Hospital - home to Britain's largest paediatric intensive care unit - has been running a review into cases of patients from January 2022.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"The trust immediately followed the standard safeguarding protocol for the sudden unexpected death of a child, and West Midlands police were notified the same day.

"An extensive clinical review of deaths and sudden deteriorations in children on the paediatric intensive care unit has been undertaken by clinicians at the trust.

"The woman was arrested at a property in the West Midlands area on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life," a spokesperson for the police force said.

Nurse arrested on suspicion of poisoning baby at Birmingham Children's Hospital

An investigation has been launched following a surge in deaths at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

www.lbc.co.uk

 

[Sarahlou]

Here we go again

 

[imstilla.grandma]

.

 

[Becci]

I read this ages ago & knew we'd hear more after LL trial.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Though the investigation was launched last year, after the baby’s death, the nurse remained under investigation this weekend. She has not yet been taken back by the hospital, and the regulator too has suspended her, which means she cannot work as a nurse elsewhere.

After Lucy Letby, another British nurse under investigation for baby's death

The nurse used to work at Birmingham Children’s Hospital but her identity has not been released. The 28-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life. This comes shortly after the conviction of Nurse Lucy Letby on charges of murdering seven babies

www.firstpost.com

 

[DinerMite]

There isn't a whole lot of info on this yet - I imagine things are still in the early days and it could take a while before we know more details?

 

[May72031]

Disturbing, given recent (other) events.

At least, the hospital seems to have moved more quickly here.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

I’m not pre-judging this case but some are naturally going to start questioning what is going on in NHS maternity and children’s wards?

 

[Sunbeams]

Looking into the articles and I can’t work out the timeline. There’s something in the Sun that wrote about it back in 2022 and there is a blurred out photo of her. It states she got arrested in this article so last year. Is this her second arrest and it’s coming out now?

 

[Imnothere]

I t

Looking into the articles and I can’t work out the timeline. There’s something in the Sun that wrote about it back in 2022 and there is a blurred out photo of her. It states she got arrested in this article so last year. Is this her second arrest and it’s coming out now?

I think this is the second arrest. She was arrested on the same day after the 1st child died, but now they have investigated it further.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"In May 2022, a child on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly,” Dr Fiona Reynolds, Chief Medical Officer at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“Due to the circumstances of the deterioration, the Trust acted straight away,” the statement continued. “A member of staff was suspended from work and subsequently arrested at home. Sadly, the child later died and our thoughts remain with the family.”

British Nurse Arrested on Suspicion of Poisoning After Death of Baby in Pediatric ICU

A British nurse, 28, remains under investigation after being arrested 'on suspicion of administering poison' following the death of a child at Birmingham Children's Hospital in England

people.com

 

[biscui]

Update on this case three years after arrest. Birmingham hospital child 'poisoning' death probe update after nurse arrested

Investigation remains ongoing and nurse remains on bail.

 

[biscui]

She was arrested over three years ago and the investigation is still ongoing. Funnily enough, I was thinking about this case and was wondering why there were no updates etc. on it and I just assumed the police quietly dropped the case.

Article says “In an update this week, a police spokesman told BirminghamLive: "The suspect remains released under investigation, and our enquiries continue”."

Kind of shocked the investigation is still ongoing for this long given that this doesn’t involve as many deaths as the Letby case.

I think it's looking like they'll charge this woman (with the one death or maybe for more they've uncovered during the investigation idk). Like three years on, the police wouldn't issue a statement saying the investigation was still ongoing unless it was going somewhere. And especially after the Letby controversy, they're probably making sure they've dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's before charging. They're probably building a case and I think if there wasn't enough evidence to charge, they would've already dropped it. Is there a certain timeframe they have before they have to charge/drop the case?

I might be reading too much into this though. Wonder what you guys think?

 

[Simply Caustic]

Am I reading this correctly, that she was suspected after the first death, arrested and released…then allegedly committed two additional poisonings?

 

[biscui]

Am I reading this correctly, that she was suspected after the first death, arrested and released…then allegedly committed two additional poisonings?

She was arrested, released and is still suspended. She hasn't been back to work since she was initially arrested.

The hospital did investigate two other sudden deaths though (not mentioned that they were poisonings). Birmingham Children's Hospital: Three sudden child deaths investigated. However, it says the police are only investigating one death and not the three. (Which I find confusing, because surely the police should be investigating any suspicious deaths? And if the hospital determined that these deaths weren't suspicious, then why is it a headline?).

I thought because of the timeframe involved, surely the police must be investigating other cases but they didn't mention so in their statements like they did with the Letby case. So, officially it seems the police are only investigating the one death.

This case raises so many questions. It's so weird.