Police investigate 'tampered' saline bags at hospital trust

The trust said it alerted police after a member of staff discovered “a small number of saline bags” at Cumberland Infirmary on 4 January, which appeared to have been tampered with.

Senior clinicians were alerted immediately and the trust said it followed its serious incident procedures.

It did not specify how the saline bags may have been tampered with but in a statement said it did not believe any patients had been adversely affected.

Security measures at the trust have been increased and the trust is reviewing the medicines in use across the trust.

Rod Harpin, medical director at North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust, said: “I can confirm that the trust contacted the police on 4 January regarding a small number of saline bags at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle which appear to have been tampered with. We immediately implemented our serious incident procedures and there is no indication that any patients have been adversely affected but we continue to monitor this closely. Patient safety is our absolute priority and we will continue to work closely with the police.”

In 2015, a nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital was convicted of murdering two patients and poisoning 20 others. Victorino Chua killed Tracey Arden, aged 44, and Derek Weaver, aged 83, at the Stockport hospital by injecting insulin into saline bags and ampoules.