Gosport hospital deaths: Police action urged over drugs scandal
Image copyright BBC/PA/Reeves familyPressure is growing on police to take action quickly over the deaths of hundreds of patients.
An independent panel found more than 450 people's lives were shortened after they were given powerful painkillers at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
Hampshire Constabulary previously conducted three separate inquiries, but no prosecutions were ever brought.
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney said the panel had sight of information "not previously seen" by the force.
Following the release of the report, relatives of elderly patients who died at the hospital branded the findings "chilling" and called for criminal prosecutions to be brought.
In a statement Ms Pinkney said: "It is important that a process is put in place to ensure that all of the relevant agencies come together, to enable decisions about next steps to be made in a way that is well considered and transparent to all of the families."
The Gosport Independent Panel, led by the former bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, found that whistleblowers and families were ignored as they attempted to raise concerns about the administration of medication at the hospital.
It also said, taking into account missing records, a further 200 patients may have suffered a similar fate.
Following the release of the report, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told MPs: "The police, working with the CPS and clinicians as necessary, will now carefully examine the new material in the report before determining their next steps and in particular whether criminal charges should now be brought."
He said any further investigations should be carried out by organisations not involved in previous probes, suggesting that Hampshire Constabulary should bring in another force.
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- Reaction to hospital deaths report
Speaking on BBC Two's Newsnight, chairman of the NHS Confederation Stephen Dorrell said the health service needed to learn from its mistakes.
He said: "The truth is, the system failed. We need to turn round, face that fact and ask ourselves what we can do to ensure we minimise the risk of it happening again."
Mr Hunt said the panel had identified a "catalogue of failings" by the authorities and apologised to the families who lost loved ones in the scandal.
The report found there was a "disregard for human life" of a large number of patients from 1989 to 2000.
It said Dr Jane Barton oversaw the practice of prescribing on the wards.
Dr Barton, was found guilty of failings in her care of 12 patients at Gosport between 1996 and 1999.
But no prosecutions were brought and she was not struck off the medical register, choosing to retire after the findings.
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