Gosport War Memorial Hospital death inquests could cost Hampshire nearly £4m
The High Court ordered new inquests three years ago - the criminal investigation is continuing
The cost of inquests into the deaths of patients who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital could cost nearly £4m, council documents show.
Hampshire County Council has earmarked £3.9m over the next two years but is understood to be exploring options for government funding.
It comes after the High Court in 2023 ordered that fresh inquests should take place into the deaths of hospital patients – Gladys Richards, Arthur Cunningham and Robert Wilson – after their families successfully applied for new hearings following the publication of the Gosport Independent Panel report in 2018.
The report sparked a major ongoing police probe after it concluded as many as 650 patients could have had their lives cut short after being prescribed opioid drugs without appropriate clinical justification amid what it described as a culture of “disregard for human life”.
Last year, police said they had identified 29 suspects and submitted case files to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.
The estimated cost to the coroner’s service covers specialist legal advice, legal representation and additional resources needed to help the coroner service meet its statutory responsibilities should further cases require coronial investigation or inquests.
The council said it was not yet possible to determine which individual cases, if any, would proceed to a coronial investigation because of the scale and complexity of the independent police investigation – named Operation Magenta – being directed by Kent police.
A county council spokesperson said: “At this stage, we are accounting for the current estimated future costs associated with the Hampshire Coroner Service’s statutory role in relation to the Kent Police investigation into past deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
“We recognise the significance and sensitivity of this matter, and these budgetary assessments are being undertaken as part of responsible financial planning to ensure the Coroner Service is appropriately resourced to carry out any additional work linked to these complex investigations.”
The spokesperson said no formal request has been made to government seeking funding. No money has been spent, they said.
Operation Magenta is examining deaths at the hospital between 1987 and 2001 and has been described as one of the most complex investigations in its history.