Relatives demand criminal charges over hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital

Relatives of 456 elderly people who died prematurely at Gosport War Memorial Hospital are demanding criminal charges are brought against those responsible.

A petition signed by more than 100,000 people will be handed in to Downing Street on Wednesday calling for urgent action and accusing the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox of dragging his feet over the matter.

Earlier this year, an independent inquiry found that, over a period of 12 years from 1989 to 2000, “there was a disregard for human life and a culture of shortening the lives of a large number of patients by prescribing and administering dangerous doses of a hazardous combination of medication not clinically indicated or justified”.

One of those who died was 88-year-old Elsie Devine. Her granddaughter Bridget Reeves organised the petition.

Ms Reeves alleges her grandmother was given a lethal overdose of painkillers at the hospital after being admitted for six weeks respite care.

She describes the events at Gosport War Memorial as horrific, catastrophic acts of absolute evil.

Ms Reeves believes someone must be held accountable for the death of Elsie and the hundreds of other elderly patients who died prematurely and wants the attorney general to push for criminal proceedings.

She told Sky News: “People were put on those heavy doses of opioids simply because they chatted too much at night or because they were difficult patients.

“That’s horrific, it’s catastrophic, it’s a demonstration of acts of absolute evil.

“What’s taken so long? We’re three months after that report was laid out, why hasn’t there been any arrests? Because the evidence is all there and the families can’t understand why we’ve got to go through all of this all over again.”

A government spokesperson told Sky News: “While the attorney general is accountable to parliament for the Crown Prosecution Service’s work, they are operationally independent and therefore he cannot intervene on an individual case or direct their inquiries regardless of the circumstances.”

The only person to face any kind of sanction so far is Dr Jane Barton. Now retired, she was found guilty of professional misconduct by the General Medical Council in relation to 12 patients who died at the hospital, although she was never struck off. A police investigation came to nothing.

Shortly after the independent report was released, Dr Barton issued a statement read by her husband saying: “She has always maintained that she was a hard-working, dedicated doctor, doing the best for her patients in a very inadequately resourced part of the health service.”

Last month a new police review began into what happened at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, but this time it is not being carried out by the local Hampshire force, but instead has been passed on to the serious crime unit at Kent and Essex Police.

Their findings will be shared with the families of those who died and potentially the Crown Prosecution Service.

(c) Sky News 2018: Relatives demand criminal charges over hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital