Gosport hospital drug deaths: Three fresh inquests ordered

Fresh inquests have been ordered by the High Court into the deaths of three patients at the scandal-hit Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire.

An independent police investigation began into the community hospital after a probe found hundreds of patients died after being given opioids.

The High Court has ordered new inquests into the deaths of Gladys Richards, Arthur Cunningham and Robert Wilson.

The decision followed years of campaigning by their families.

Inquests were originally held into Ms Richards' death in April 2013 and into Mr Cunningham and Mr Wilson's death in March and April 2009.

In 2018, the Gosport Independent Panel report concluded that the lives of more than 450 people were shortened because of the routine practice of prescribing and administering opioids until the year 2000, and that probably at least another 200 patients were similarly affected.

The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, which is managing the investigation, codenamed Operation Magenta, said it is reviewing the records of more than 750 patients and has identified 19 suspects to be interviewed.

Emma Jones of Leigh Day solicitors, who represents the three families as well as the relatives of six other patients, said the court decision confirmed the initial inquests had been "inadequate".

She said: "New inquests are needed to examine all the evidence that has since come to light about the use of opioids at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001.

"We are representing the families of nine people whose deaths will be freshly examined by a coroner to try to find answers about what went wrong at the hospital.

She called for a "Hillsborough-style public inquiry" into all the deaths linked to opioid misuse at Gosport Hospital.

A new criminal investigation is being led by Kent Police after three previous ones by Hampshire Constabulary resulted in no prosecutions.

Last month detectives said interviews with 19 suspects under caution were ongoing.

The 2018 report found there was a "disregard for human life" of a large number of patients from 1989 to 2000.

Dr Jane Barton oversaw the practice of prescribing on the wards and is the only person to face disciplinary action.

She was found guilty of failings in her care of 12 patients between 1996 and 1999.

But she was not struck off the medical register, choosing to retire after the findings were published.

In a statement in 2018, Dr Barton said she was a "hard-working doctor" who was "doing her best" for patients in a "very inadequately resourced" part of the NHS.

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