Families to meet solicitor over Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths

Plans to secure Hillsborough-style inquests for families of those who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital will be laid out on Friday.

In 2018, an independent inquiry found that 456 people had their lives ‘shortened’ after being prescribed opioids at the hospital between 1987 and 2001.

Now, as some families are getting fresh inquests into the deaths of their loved ones, a legal team is gearing up to pursue even more inquests in the near future.

Lawyer Emma Jones from Leigh Day is holding an open meeting for families at St George’s Church in Portsea, showing them how their campaign can gather momentum and the steps that will be taken.

She said: ‘The Hampshire coroner has accepted that the calls for inquests into the deaths of people at Gosport War Memorial Hospital are valid.

‘If others have unanswered questions about how and why their own loved ones died at Gosport, this would be a key stage in the journey to a Hillsborough-style inquest to consider joining in.

‘I would encourage anyone in that situation to come along to the meeting on Friday so that we can help them become fully informed.’

The meeting is being held from 11am-1pm on Friday

There, Emma will explain what has happened for the seven families being represented by Leigh Day thus far, including applications to the Hampshire coroner or attorney general for an inquest.

She will then answer questions families might have about seeking an inquest or asking for a fresh inquest into the death of their own family member.

Concluding in 2016, the Hillsborough inquest confirmed that 96 football fans were unlawfully killed at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

After an unlawful killing conclusion, the Crown Prosecution Service can look at prosecuting individuals or corporate bodies.