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2011 Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning incident

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2011 Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning incident
Stepping Hill Hospital in 2010
LocationStockport, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

In 2011, deaths occurred at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. After suspicions were raised concerning the similarities of the deaths, a murder inquiry was launched. Nurse Victorino Chua was found to have poisoned several patients with insulin. He was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Background and investigation

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The investigation was sparked by a nurse on a ward at the hospital, who noticed that several patients on the ward had unexpectedly low blood sugar levels. An investigation suggested that a number of saline ampoules and saline drips had been contaminated with insulin,[1] and this was believed to have lowered the blood sugar levels in the patients.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to allow the uptake of glucose in the blood to be used by the muscles and cells of the body for energy. The brain requires a constant supply of glucose in order to be able to function properly. As insulin lowers the level of glucose in the blood, if too much of it is present in the circulation this can quickly lead to lowered blood glucose levels, commonly known as low blood sugar (or hypoglycemia); which as a consequence negatively affects the functioning of the brain and central nervous system. This can be rapidly and irreversibly fatal if not recognised and treated early enough. At Stepping Hill it was suspected that, due to the increased levels of insulin in the patients' bloodstreams, they quickly became hypoglycemic and three confirmed fatalities occurred. A number of other patients are also believed by police to have been poisoned in this way, though most did not suffer fatal consequences. Two further deaths in the A1 and A3 wards were added to the investigation on 21 July.[2]

Three patients' deaths – two elderly men, George Keep, 84 and Arnold Lancaster, 71, and a woman – Tracey Arden, 44 – were attributed to the alleged contamination,[3] although it was also reported that each of the patients also had underlying medical conditions that made them weaker. On 21 July 2011, it was confirmed that two more patients' deaths were being linked to the investigation, bringing the death count to five.[2][4] Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced that the inquiry into how saline solutions had been contaminated with insulin would form the basis of a murder inquiry. During the investigation, 60 detectives were involved in determining how and when the saline solutions were contaminated. Meanwhile, a number of armed police guards were stationed at the hospital, and staff were made to work in pairs when administering medication to patients.

Rebecca Leighton

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On 20 July 2011, GMP confirmed that they had arrested a 27-year-old nurse – Rebecca Jane Leighton, who worked at the hospital on ward A1 and A3 – in connection with the murder inquiry.[5] The Nursing and Midwifery Council opened a fitness to practice investigation after the arrest of Leighton.[6][7] On 22 July, Leighton appeared at Manchester City Magistrates' court. She was charged with three counts of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, three counts of criminal damage being reckless as to whether life was being endangered, and one charge of theft. She was remanded in custody to next appear at Manchester Crown Court on 1 August.[8]

Charges against Leighton were dropped on 2 September 2011. The Crown Prosecution Service said it was "no longer appropriate" to continue the case against her. Evidence that was expected to appear in support of the charges had not become available. Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West, said Leighton had been charged on the basis there was "reasonable suspicion she had committed the offences and there were reasonable grounds for believing the continuing investigation would provide further evidence within a reasonable amount of time".[9] She subsequently hired celebrity publicist Max Clifford to help clear her name.[10]

On 2 December 2011, it was reported that Leighton had been dismissed from her job as a nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital. She had been suspended ever since the allegations were first made nearly five months earlier.[11] She appealed against her termination in a hearing in February 2012, but the trust dismissed the appeal. The trust was unable to comment due to confidentiality issues and there was no response from Leighton's lawyers.[12] It was also revealed on that day that police were investigating a total of 19 deaths at the hospital as possible victims of saline poisoning.[11]

Victorino Chua

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Victorino Chua
Born1965 or 1966 (age 57–58)
NationalityFilipino
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment

On 5 January 2012, it was revealed that a death had occurred on 31 December 2011, after Leighton had been dismissed, and was now being linked to the investigation. Forty-six-year-old Victorino Chua, a nurse at the hospital, had been arrested amid claims that forms had been altered and a patient given extra medication.[13] He was later also questioned on the earlier deaths.[14] He was not charged with any offence and was placed on police bail.[14] By July 2012, GMP stated that they were making good progress in the investigation, that 22 people had been poisoned and that seven deaths had occurred.[15]

On 29 March 2014, Chua was charged with the murders of Tracey Arden, Arnold Lancaster and Alfred Derek Weaver, and 31 other offences including grievous bodily harm and attempted poisoning. He was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court later. The prosecution argued that Chua had decided to take out his personal frustrations on patients "for reasons truly known only to himself".[16] On 18 May 2015, Chua was convicted on two counts of murder.[17] He was found not guilty of murdering Arnold Lancaster, who had been suffering from terminal cancer, but was convicted of attempting to cause him and 20 other patients grievous bodily harm with intent by poisoning. He was also found guilty of eight offences of unlawfully administering or causing to be taken by another person any poison or destructive or noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy, or attempting to do so, after deliberately altering prescriptions. The jury at Manchester Crown Court had deliberated for 11 days.[18][19][20] Mr Justice Openshaw sentenced Chua, a Filipino national, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 35 years, meaning he will be 84 years old when he becomes eligible for parole.[21]

See also

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  • Benjamin Geen, British nurse who murdered two patients and committed grievous bodily harm to 15 others
  • Lucy Letby, British nurse who murdered seven infants and attempted murder on another six

References

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  1. ^ "BBC News – Police investigate three deaths at Stepping Hill Hospital". BBC. 15 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Tributes to 5th patient to die in Stepping Hill saline sabotage probe as police are given more time to question nurse". Manchester Evening News. menmedia.co.uk. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Stepping Hill Hospital deaths: Suspect 'may be on site'". BBC News. 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Stepping Hill Hospital: Nurse Rebecca Leighton Held For More Time After Five People Have Now Died". Sky News. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Stepping Hill Hospital: Nurse arrested in murder probe". BBC News. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Nursing regulator opens fitness to practise proceedings in Stepping Hill case". Nursing and Midwifery Council. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  7. ^ Ford, Steve (20 July 2011). "Registered nurse arrested over Stepping Hill deaths named". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Stepping Hill Hospital: Rebecca Leighton remanded in custody". BBC News. 23 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Stepping Hill saline deaths: Nurse Rebecca Leighton charges dropped". BBC News. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Rebecca Leighton: Nurse seeks help from Max Clifford". BBC News. 7 September 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Nurse Rebecca Leighton dismissed from Stepping Hill". BBC News. 2 December 2011.
  12. ^ "Stepping Hill nurse Rebecca Leighton loses sack appeal". BBC News. 3 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Stepping Hill Hospital saline inquiry: Nurse arrested". BBC News. 5 January 2012.
  14. ^ a b Carter, Helen (8 January 2012). "Stepping Hill hospital nurse bailed". The Guardian. London.
  15. ^ "Stepping Hill probe making good progress". Greater Manchester Police. July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Stepping Hill deaths: Nurse Victorino Chua charged with murder". BBC News. 29 March 2014.
  17. ^ "Stepping Hill nurse Victorino Chua guilty of murdering patients". BBC News. 18 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Nurse, Victorino Chua, found guilty". Greater Manchester Police. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  19. ^ "'Evil angel' nurse guilty of murder". Belfast Telegraph. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  20. ^ Fallowfield, Carl (18 May 2015). "Nurse guilty of murdering patients". Cumbria Crack. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  21. ^ "Stepping Hill nurse Victorino Chua jailed for life". BBC News. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
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