Families call for Hillsborough-type inquests into hospital deaths scandal

Author: PA

Families whose loved ones died in the Gosport hospital scandal are calling for Hillsborough-model inquests.

The families are calling for judge and jury-type inquiries as they continue to push for answers.

More than 450 people had their lives shortened at the Hampshire hospital while another 200 were "probably'' similarly given opioids between 1989 and 2000 without medical justification, according to the Gosport Independent Panel report released in 2018.

The report said 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.

The families say repeated ineffective investigations into hundreds of deaths at the Hampshire hospital have left families without any justice or closure.

Now five families are calling for a first or fresh inquest into the deaths of their loved ones at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

If the Hampshire coroner and the Attorney General agree to the requests, then the families' solicitor will write to the Chief Coroner to ask that the inquests be held all together as an Article 2 inquest with a much wider scope than a standard inquest to look at the role of all individuals and institutions involved.

The families are calling for a judge and jury to be appointed, rather than the inquest being conducted by a coroner.

They are represented by Leigh Day partner Emma Jones, who said: "The ultimate aim is to try to get something akin to the most recent Hillsborough inquests - with a judge and jury.

"The path is similar - both tragedies have had families campaigning for decades for truth and justice on behalf of their deceased loved ones.

"The families have faced ineffective and closed investigations that were poor. There had been earlier inquests that were not fit for purpose.

"Then followed an independent report into each matter. Following the Hillsborough Report, fresh inquests were ordered. We hope to get to that place for the families.''