'Significant step' in Gosport hospital deaths probe
A 'number of people' will be questioned under caution
It's been revealed a 'number of people' are going to be interviewed under caution by police investigating hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital
A report found 456 patients died after being given powerful painkillers they didn't need between 1987 and 2001.
Kent Police are leading the inquiry.
On Wednesday 28 September 2022 a meeting was held with affected family members in Fareham where they were told that a number of people will be formally questioned about their alleged involvement in deaths at the hospital between 1987 and 2001. As part of this process, medical experts will provide specialist advice to police officers and staff.
Those identified as persons of interest have been notified and contact has been made with their legal representatives ahead of them being interviewed. This process is ongoing and other individuals are expected to be identified in due course.
Operation Magenta was launched in April 2019 following the publication of a report by the Gosport Independent Panel that concluded a significant number of deaths at the hospital were linked to the use of opiates prescribed without the appropriate justification.
Since then a dedicated team of around 150 officers and staff have been carrying out one of the largest and most complex investigations of this nature in the history of UK policing, including the assessment of more than three million pages of documents including over 700 patient medical records, and the taking of witness statements from more than 1,000 individual family members.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Jerome of Operation Magenta said: ‘This marks a significant step in the investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital and is the result of many months of thorough and meticulous work by our team of investigators.
‘The families of those who died are at the heart of everything we do; it has been important to see families today and speak to them about this this latest development. We remain committed to building and maintaining trust and confidence among them and will continue to keep them updated on the progress of the investigation.
‘It is however important to remember that an interview under caution grants those identified the legal protections to account for their alleged actions. It is in no way an implication of guilt.’
Family members or anyone who wishes to provide information to Operation Magenta are advised to visit www.kent.police.uk/opmagenta or call 01795 419100.