Gosport hospital deaths: Inquiry findings to be made public this morning

The Gosport Independent Panel will release its report into the deaths of a number of elderly patients at the hospital between 1988 and 2000 today. The families will be informed first and then information will be released to help ‘public understanding’ of the events, with the report delivered at Portsmouth Cathedral.

LIVE UPDATES: Gosport War Memorial Hospital findings to be announced

A review of the deaths in 2013 found that patients had been prescribed a higher than normal number of opiates, at the Bury Road hospital.

Led by Bishop James Jones KBE, the Gosport Independent Panel was due to conclude in December 2017 but an extra £5m was pumped in by the government last year so that the panel could continue the work.

Speaking ahead of the inquiry’s findings being released, Ann Reeves, whose mother Elsie’s death formed part of the inquiry, said people would finally realise the ‘enormity’ of the fight families have had to make.

It was announced in February of this year that the report would be released on June 20.

Bishop Jones, who previously chaired the Hillsborough Independent Panel into the disaster, said at the time: ‘The Gosport Independent Panel will publish its report about the historic concerns at Gosport War Memorial Hospital on June 20. ‘The report will be shared first with the affected families in Portsmouth Cathedral.

‘The report will deal with the families’ historic questions about the care of their relatives in Gosport War Memorial Hospital and the subsequent investigations into their deaths. ‘The report will provide an overview of the documents reviewed by the Panel and will illustrate how the information disclosed adds to public understanding of these events and their aftermath.’

The panel was announced on July 10, 2014.