‘Inappropriate’ medicine did cause deaths

Apr 21 2009 by jl newsdesk1, The Journal

AN inquest ruled yesterday that three out of 10 elderly patients who died at a hospital were given inappropriate medication.

The panel of five women and three men spent four weeks at Portsmouth Coroner’s Court looking at how the 10 died at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire 10 years ago.

They ruled that in the cases of Robert Wilson, 74, Elsie Devine, 88, and Geoffrey Packman, 67, the medication was not appropriate for their condition and symptoms but had been given for therapeutic reasons.

They also ruled that medication had contributed to the death of Elsie Lavender and Arthur Cunningham (known as Brian) but had been given for therapeutic reasons and was appropriate for their condition.

The jury ruled that medication had not contributed to the deaths of five others.

The hearings had to be given special permission by Justice Secretary Jack Straw because seven of the bodies have since been cremated.

The inquest heard that each of the 10 patients went to the hospital for palliative care but died while at the community hospital. The jury heard evidence from members of the patients’ families, medical experts and staff at the hospital, including Dr Jane Barton.

She was the only individual to be investigated by police in connection with deaths at the hospital but she was not charged with any offence.

Hampshire Police – who said they will not reopen the case – carried out a series of investigations into the treatment of 92 patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in the late 1990s but no action was taken.

Speaking outside the court in a press conference, the families of some of the patients called for the police investigation into deaths at the hospital to be reopened. Bridget Reeves, granddaughter of Elsie Devine, said in a statement: “The elderly and the public deserve better.”

Dr Barton, who works as a GP, said in a statement that she had always acted out of “care, concern and compassion” for her patients.

She said: “I am unable to make any substantial comment about matters, given my duty of confidence.

“I can say, though, that I have always acted with care, concern and compassion towards my patients.

“I am pleased the jury recognised that in all of these cases, drugs were only given for therapeutic purposes.”