A fresh criminal inquiry has been launched into the deaths of hundreds of patients who were given powerful painkillers at Gosport War Memorial hospital. The investigation will examine the care provided to patients who died at the Hampshire hospital between 1987 and 2001.
What is the Gosport hospital scandal?
More than 450 people had their lives shortened at the hospital and another 200 were “probably” given opioids between 1989 and 2000 without medical justification, an independent report said last year.
What are opioids?
Opioids are painkillers made from the opium poppy or synthetic medicines that are chemically similar. Codeine, dihydrocodeine and tramadol are examples of weak opioids, while morphine, diamorphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone and buprenorphine are much stronger and sometimes prescribed to alleviate significant pain. Higher doses of opioids can affect breathing; death from an overdose is usually due to respiratory arrest. Older people are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of the drugs.
What has happened so far?
Three investigations by Hampshire constabulary into 92 deaths resulted in no charges being brought.
In 2010, the General Medical Council ruled Dr Jane Barton – who has since retired – was guilty of multiple instances of professional misconduct relating to 12 patients who died at the hospital. In a statement last year, Barton said she was a “hardworking doctor” who was “doing her best” for patients in a “very inadequately resourced” part of the NHS.
In June 2018, the Gosport independent panel reported that there was “a disregard for human life and a culture of shortening lives of a large number of patients” at the hospital. The report said there was an “institutionalised regime of prescribing and administering ‘dangerous doses’ of a hazardous combination of medication not clinically indicated or justified”. The inquiry, led by the former bishop of Liverpool James Jones, did not ascribe criminal or civil liability for the deaths.
Families of the elderly patients who died vowed to not stop fighting until those responsible have been brought to justice.
In November, the government announced NHS whistleblowers were to be given better protection in an attempt to improve patient safety after the scandal. The Department of Health and Social Care also set out plans to change the law to compel every NHS trust in England to report annually on how concerns raised by staff and patients have been addressed.
What happens now?
The care provided to patients who died at the hospital between 1987 and 2001 will be the focus of the new inquiry. Kent police said the evidence referred to them so far has been assessed and a full investigation has been launched.
Nick Downing, an assistant chief constable with the force, will lead the investigation, but officers from across the country will be involved. Families have been told the first phase of the investigation could take at least nine months and will involve taking statements from relatives to provide context to the inquiry, a Kent police spokesman said. The investigation will then look at whether individuals or organisations may have been responsible for the deaths.
