Gosport War Memorial Hospital: Daughter of woman who died at hospital criticises 'missing details' in independent inquiry report

Gladys Richards died on August 21, 1998, after being prescribed opioids without appropriate clinical indication.

The 91-year-old is one of 456 named patients in an independent inquiry, published in June 2018.

But her daughter Gillian Mackenzie, 86, from Eastbourne, says the Gosport Independent Panel report included inaccuracies about her mother.

The report failed to include details of two discharge letters from neighbouring Haslar Hospital, stating that Mrs Richards was fully weight-bearing and mobile.

This has now been added as an amendment to the report, but Mrs Mackenzie says it should never have happened in the first place.

She said: ‘The discussions I've been having about the amendment have been rumbling on for months.

‘It’s an important detail in the case for my mother and should have been included.

‘I have every faith in the police investigation but I do get upset about it.’

The discharge letters were seen by The News prior to the amendment.

But despite it now being made official, Mrs Mackenzie fears key details such as this could be missing from other cases in the report.

‘I think something like this casts doubt on the bishop’s entire report,’ she said.

‘A lot of families might have the same problem, but we were told that after 10 years the files were destroyed – so some of it might be irretrievable.

‘The whole thing stinks if you ask me.’

Another amendment has also been printed for the case of Elsie Devine, who died on November 21, 1999, age 88.

While an independent inquiry produced the report, the subsequent investigation into the deaths is in the hands of police from Operation Magenta

Deputy assistant commissioner Neil Jerome from Operation Magenta said: ‘The independent police investigation into hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Hampshire, between 1987 and 2001 remains ongoing.

‘The investigation, which started in April 2019, is gathering witness statements from the families of those who died regarding the care they received at the hospital.

‘The investigation is thorough and is gathering evidence from a range of sources, including families, with whom we maintain regular contact.’