Gosport hospital deaths: Prescribed painkillers ‘shortened 456 lives’
Image copyright BBC/PA/Reeves familyMore than 450 patients died after being given powerful painkillers inappropriately at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, a report has found.
An independent panel said, taking into account missing records, a further 200 patients may have suffered a similar fate.
The report found there was a "disregard for human life" of a large number of patients from 1989 and 2000.
Dr Jane Barton was responsible for prescribing painkillers over 12 years.
There was an "institutionalised regime" of prescribing and administering "dangerous" amounts of a medication not clinically justified, the report said.
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Former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, who led Gosport Independent Panel, said: "The documents seen by the panel show that for a 12-year period a clinical assistant, Dr Barton, was responsible for the practice of prescribing which prevailed on the wards."
