Blake Lapthorn acts on behalf of clients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital inquests

In the Coroner’s Court in Portsmouth on Wednesday 18 March, the Coroner for North Hampshire will commence the inquest hearing into ten deaths of elderly patients that took place at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in the late 1990s.  The hearing is expected to last until mid-April when the doctor responsible for prescribing medications to the patients will give evidence.

Blake Lapthorn is representing four of the ten families at the inquest.

In 1998, there was a police investigation in to an alleged unlawful killing of a patient at the hospital.  Independent expert evidence was obtained in respect of other patient’s deaths.  Although they did not prosecute, the police were so concerned about the treatment of frail and elderly people at the hospital that they referred the matter to the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) for investigation. 

CHI investigated in July 2002 and produced the report, 'Portsmouth Healthcare NHS Trust at Gosport War Memorial Hospital'.  The report was damning about failings in the Trust’s systems to ensure good quality patient care.

In the inquest hearing, the Coroner, sitting with a jury, will investigate whether and how failures in the care and treatment led to each individual’s death.

John White, a partner in Blake Lapthorn's Clinical Negligence team said: "The allegations in this case are of the most serious kind.  Several investigations have now taken place over many years but none has so far managed to get to a resolution.  We have asked the Ministry of Justice to fund our representation because of the wider public interest issues.  Given the time that has elapsed and the mass of information, I think the Coroner will have a very difficult task but with our work and the efforts of the families I hope that he will get to the truth."