BRITISH NURSE Rebecca Leighton, arrested in July over the deaths of four patients in a hospital in Stockport, will not be prosecuted because there is “not a case” against her, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.
Ms Leighton was arrested in a welter of publicity and later charged with endangering life when it emerged patients had died after saline drip-bags they were hooked up to had been contaminated with insulin.
Held in prison for six weeks, Ms Leighton will also not be prosecuted on a charge of stealing medicine from Stepping Hill hospital, even though the prosecution service believes there would have been “sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Detectives believe there is “a high probability” two of the deaths at Stepping Hill were caused by insulin, but they are investigating 40 other suspected contaminations that may be linked to seven other deaths. They have interviewed 200 witnesses but up to 500 more have to be questioned.
Defending the decision to charge Ms Leighton, the prosecution service said there had been “a reasonable suspicion” she had been involved, but so far there was not enough evidence to offer “a realistic prospect of conviction”.
The case against her would be reopened if new evidence emerged, it said.
The statement said the inquiry by Greater Manchester Police into the unexplained deaths would continue “with lines of inquiry to be pursued”. It said the case against Ms Leighton could be restarted if further evidence was presented.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which suspended Ms Leighton’s right to practise as a nurse in early August, last night said the suspension would remain in place to “establish whether further action needs to be taken”.
Manchester Police assistant chief constable, Terry Constable, said: “No one has made any definitive admissions in this case, there is obviously no CCTV of patient treatment, and many members of staff had legitimate access to the areas and materials involved.”
