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| 'Doing her best': doctor criticised in Gosport inquiry responds | 'Doing her best': doctor criticised in Gosport inquiry responds |
| (21 days later) | |
| Jane Barton, the doctor at the centre of the Gosport hospital scandal in which the lives of up to 600 people were cut short by powerful painkillers, has said she had been “a hard-working” doctor doing her best in an under-resourced part of the NHS. | Jane Barton, the doctor at the centre of the Gosport hospital scandal in which the lives of up to 600 people were cut short by powerful painkillers, has said she had been “a hard-working” doctor doing her best in an under-resourced part of the NHS. |
| It was her first public comment since an inquiry found last week that patients’ lives had been shortened by inappropriate doses of painkillers at the Gosport War Memorial hospital in Hampshire. | It was her first public comment since an inquiry found last week that patients’ lives had been shortened by inappropriate doses of painkillers at the Gosport War Memorial hospital in Hampshire. |
| Barton was a GP running two wards where frail and elderly people were admitted, often for rehabilitation. Many who were not in pain ended up on syringe drivers that pumped what the panel said were inappropriately administered powerful opiate painkillers, such as doses of diamorphine and other drugs, into their bodies. | Barton was a GP running two wards where frail and elderly people were admitted, often for rehabilitation. Many who were not in pain ended up on syringe drivers that pumped what the panel said were inappropriately administered powerful opiate painkillers, such as doses of diamorphine and other drugs, into their bodies. |
| Barton was said to have been responsible for overseeing prescribing on the wards. The families of patients have fought for 20 years for answers. | Barton was said to have been responsible for overseeing prescribing on the wards. The families of patients have fought for 20 years for answers. |
| Profile: Dr Jane Barton, GP and the Gosport hospital scandal | Profile: Dr Jane Barton, GP and the Gosport hospital scandal |
| The Gosport panel, led by the former bishop of Liverpool James Jones, found that overprescription of opioids had been institutional and routine. The report was critical of Barton and also of the consultants, the nurses who administered the drugs, and the pharmacist who dispensed them. It also criticised NHS management, Department of Health staff and ministers for failing to help the families. | The Gosport panel, led by the former bishop of Liverpool James Jones, found that overprescription of opioids had been institutional and routine. The report was critical of Barton and also of the consultants, the nurses who administered the drugs, and the pharmacist who dispensed them. It also criticised NHS management, Department of Health staff and ministers for failing to help the families. |
| Barton appeared outside her Gosport home with her husband, Tim, who read a statement. | Barton appeared outside her Gosport home with her husband, Tim, who read a statement. |
| He said: “Jane would like to thank her family, friends, colleagues, former patients and many others for their continued support and loyalty through this protracted inquiry. She has always maintained that she was a hard-working doctor doing her best for her patients in a very inadequately resourced part of the health service.” | He said: “Jane would like to thank her family, friends, colleagues, former patients and many others for their continued support and loyalty through this protracted inquiry. She has always maintained that she was a hard-working doctor doing her best for her patients in a very inadequately resourced part of the health service.” |
| The deaths of more than 90 patients have been investigated by Hampshire police, but charges have never been brought against anyone at the hospital. | The deaths of more than 90 patients have been investigated by Hampshire police, but charges have never been brought against anyone at the hospital. |
| Barton was brought before a disciplinary tribunal of the General Medical Council, the doctors’ regulatory body, and found guilty of serious professional misconduct over her prescribing and failure to make adequate notes, but she was not struck off the register. She then retired as a doctor. | Barton was brought before a disciplinary tribunal of the General Medical Council, the doctors’ regulatory body, and found guilty of serious professional misconduct over her prescribing and failure to make adequate notes, but she was not struck off the register. She then retired as a doctor. |
| Many families still want to see criminal prosecutions for the deaths of their loved ones. In a statement apologising to them for what happened, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, asked the Crown Prosecution Service to look again and suggested that another police force, not Hampshire, should investigate. | Many families still want to see criminal prosecutions for the deaths of their loved ones. In a statement apologising to them for what happened, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, asked the Crown Prosecution Service to look again and suggested that another police force, not Hampshire, should investigate. |
| There have been claims that the use of two types of syringe driver in the NHS that could easily be confused, one of which delivered a dose within minutes that should be given over 24 hours, was to blame for the deaths. The panel has denied that, pointing out that the report showed the very high doses prescribed were to blame – whichever syringe driver was used. | There have been claims that the use of two types of syringe driver in the NHS that could easily be confused, one of which delivered a dose within minutes that should be given over 24 hours, was to blame for the deaths. The panel has denied that, pointing out that the report showed the very high doses prescribed were to blame – whichever syringe driver was used. |
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