MANCHESTER – Police investigating a case of tampering with medication have named two men who died at a hospital in northwest England.
George Keep (84), Cheadle, and Arnold Lancaster (71), Romiley, Stockport, died following what is believed to have been deliberate interference with saline solution at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport, greater Manchester. Detectives are also looking at the death of Tracey Arden (44) at the hospital.
Insulin was found in a batch of 36 saline ampoules in a storeroom close to ward A1 after a nurse reported last Tuesday that she had found a higher-than-normal number of patients with unexplained low blood sugar levels.
Detectives believe the insulin was deliberately injected into the saline containers, which were used by at least two wards, but they say the three deaths remain unexplained as they await postmortem examination results.
Greater Manchester police’s major incident team is focusing its investigation from July 7th onwards but it will review previous deaths at the hospital if new information comes to light.
Ms Arden died on July 7th, Mr Keep died on Thursday after being admitted on June 27th and Mr Lancaster died on Monday.
South Manchester coroner John Pollard is due to open inquests on all three next week.
All future deaths at the hospital that show any signs of relevant symptoms will be passed to Mr Pollard for the foreseeable future and may be referred to detectives to investigate.
Speculation has mounted throughout the weekend that several more deaths since July 7th were being looked at and that the contamination could have taken place outside the hospital but police refused to comment on either matter.
Police are continuing to interview doctors, nurses, porters, patients and visitors. – (PA)