The families of elderly patients who died at a controversial hospital have demanded a public inquiry after an inquest jury ruled that medication contributed to the deaths of five people.
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 more than 10 years ago.
The jury found that the deaths of five patients were "more than minimally" contributed to by the medication given.
These were Robert Wilson, 74, Elsie Devine, 88, Geoffrey Packman, 67, Elsie Lavender, 83, and 79-year-old Arthur "Brian" Cunningham.
The panel also found that for Mr Wilson, Ms Devine and Mr Packman, the use of painkillers was inappropriate for their condition or symptoms. But it also ruled that the medication had been administered for therapeutic reasons in all five cases.
The jury found that medication had not contributed to the deaths of the other five patients. The inquest heard that each of the 10 patients went to the community hospital for palliative care but all died there.
The jury heard evidence from members of the patients' families, medical experts and staff at the hospital, including Dr Jane Barton who was in charge of care but who has not been charged with any offence.
Speaking outside the court in a press conference, the families of some of the patients called for a new police probe as well as a public inquiry.
Ann Reeves, daughter of Ms Devine, said in a statement: "The elderly and the public deserve better. If somebody is going to die, it is not up to the doctor to decide when that will be. It is their basic right to have their families around them in the last few days. A right which Jane Barton took from the families at will."
Her daughter Bridget Reeves added: "We want all the evidence to be made public and the only way for this appears to be a public inquiry."
