Gosport hospital deaths: Nurses raised fears over drugs - but were ignored

The Gosport Independent Panel, published today after four years of investigation, found a number of nurses raised concerns about the prescribing of drugs in 1991.

The report, led by Bishop James Jones, found 456 patients’ lives were shortened through the prescribing and administrating opioids without medical justification.

The number could be higher due to some records being missing.

In the report, it said a staff nurse at the hospital, off Bury Road, expressed concerns over the administration of drugs with syringe drivers.

‘The documents reviewed by the Panel show that, between that date and January 1992, a number of nurses raised concerns about the prescribing of drugs, in particular diamorphine,’ it said.

‘In doing so, the nurses involved, supported by their Royal College of Nursing branch convenor, gave the hospital the opportunity to rectify the practice.

‘In choosing not to do so, the opportunity was lost, deaths resulted and, 22 years later, it became necessary to establish this Panel in order to discover the truth of what happened.

‘The documents therefore tell a story of missed opportunity and unheeded warnings.’