Gosport War Memorial Deaths: Police give case files to CPS as 24 suspects identified over hospital deaths

A total of 24 suspects have now been identified by police investigating the deaths of hundreds of patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital. Described as one of the ‘most complex’ investigations in the ‘history of policing’, Operation Magenta, which is being managed by Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has been looking into the deaths of hundreds who died while at the Hampshire hospital.

Between 1987 and 2001, hundreds of patients died whilst being in the care of the community hospital due to the ‘inappropriately high doses’ of opioids.

The death of 91-year-old Gladys Richard sparked the initial investigation as she was the first patient believed to have died in the unfolding scandal. Gladys was admitted to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital to recover from a hip operation following a fall - but five days later she died due to the continuous administration of diamorphine.

An investigation was launched in 1998 following the death of Gladys but no one was held accountable. As a result, relatives of other patients that died while at the hospital have said that the initial investigation could have prevented hundreds of deaths.

In 2018, the Gosport Independent Panel report concluded that the lives of more than 450 people had been shortened because of the routine practice of prescribing and administering opioids until the year 2000, and that probably at least another 200 patients were similarly affected.

The force has now confirmed that the number of suspects being interviewed has risen to 24, made up of 21 for alleged gross negligence manslaughter and three for alleged offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has said it is reviewing the records of more than 750 patients and taken 1,200 witness statements.

Deputy chief constable Neil Jerome of Operation Magenta said: “The independent investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Hampshire, between 1987 and 2001 is one of the largest and most complex of its nature in the history of UK policing.

“Our team consists of serving and retired detectives who have so far assessed more than three million pages of documents including the medical records of over 750 patients, and taken around 1,200 witness statements from affected family members.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing and we have now reached the stage where we have started to submit case files in relation to individual patients to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“It will be the CPS’ decision as to whether or not any criminal charges are brought in relation to these cases.

“The families of those who died at the hospital were informed at the start of the investigation that the full range of criminal offences would be considered.

“The total number of suspects identified to date is 24, including 21 for alleged gross negligence manslaughter and three for alleged offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

“Interviews are being carried out under caution and there have been no arrests to date.

“Whilst we have never provided anyone with an estimate of how long our enquiries will last, family members and the general public can be confident we are working as quickly and thoroughly as possible to ensure Operation Magenta is the decisive police investigation into the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.”

Families have been battling for almost 30 years to uncover what happened to their loved ones while they were at the hospital. In August of this year, relatives held a press conference to discuss the ongoing investigation and their personal experience of trying to get answers.

Pam Byrne was at the press conference representing her step-father, Clifford Houghton, who died in 2004 at the age of 71. He went to the hospital to give Pam’s mother some respite but he was quickly put on a syringe driver and never recovered.

In a previous interview, Pam said: “The culture in the hospital was horrendous, absolutely horrendous - it was cruel.

“In my dad’s case, he had only gone in to give my mum some respite - but we got a call six days later saying he wasn’t going to last the weekend.”

The 2018 Gosport Independent Panel found that ‘continuous opioids started at inappropriately high doses’, ‘few patients survived long after starting continuous opioids’ and the ‘prescription and administration of drugs contravened guidelines’. The report also outlined that 456 patients died after being given opiates inappropriately between 1987 and 2001. 

The 2018 report said there was ‘a disregard for human life and a culture of shortening lives of a large number of patients’ at the hospital. It also said that 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.

Last year, the High Court agreed for new inquests to be held into the deaths of Gladys Richards, Arthur Cunningham and Robert Wilson following requests from family members. Inquests were originally held into Ms Richards’s death in April 2013 and into Mr Cunningham and Mr Wilson’s deaths in March and April 2009.

For more information about the Gosport War Memorial Hospital Deaths, click here.

For more information about Operation Magenta, click here.