Draft:Ann Reeves

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Introduction

Ann Reeves is a British campaigner known for her efforts to seek justice for patients who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, including her mother, Elsie Devine, in 1999. Devine was among the 456 patients whose lives were found to have been shortened due to the inappropriate administration of opioids between 1987 and 2001, as detailed in the Gosport Independent Panel report released in 2018 .​

Reeves has been a prominent voice among the families advocating for accountability, expressing that the report's findings validated concerns they had raised for nearly two decades . Her campaigning contributed to renewed investigations, including Operation Magenta, a police inquiry that identified 24 suspects, with case files submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.

Personal Loss and the Launch of a Justice Campaign

Elsie Devine

In November 1999, Ann Reeves’ mother, Elsie Devine, was admitted to Gosport War Memorial Hospital for respite care following recovery from a urinary tract infection. During her stay, Devine was administered a combination of sedatives and opioid painkillers, despite questions surrounding the medical necessity of the treatment. She died shortly afterwards. Devine's case was later cited among those examined by the Gosport Independent Panel, which concluded in 2018 that at least 456 patients had their lives shortened due to the prescribing practices at the hospital between 1987 and 2001. The report identified Dr. Jane Barton, a general practitioner who worked at the hospital, as having routinely prescribed high doses of opioids and other medications to elderly and vulnerable patients. ​

The report highlighted that 70% of the patients whose lives were shortened were not admitted for terminal care, indicating that their deaths were unexpected. The panel found that there was an institutionalized regime of prescribing and administering "dangerous doses" of medication not clinically indicated or justified, reflecting a disregard for human life. Concerns raised by nurses and families were consistently ignored by hospital management and regulatory bodies, including the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Campaign for Accountability

Following the death of her mother, Elsie Devine, in 1999, Ann Reeves initiated a sustained campaign to seek accountability for the care practices at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. Over the course of more than two decades, Reeves contacted numerous government departments, healthcare organisations, police forces, and regulatory agencies to raise concerns about the treatment of patients at the hospital. Despite these efforts, Reeves and other families affected by the deaths encountered significant obstacles, including repeated refusals for a full public inquiry into the events.

Instead, a non-Article 2 inquiry—lacking the transparency and legal authority of a statutory public investigation—was established. In June 2018, the Gosport Independent Panel published its findings, concluding that there had been a “disregard for human life” in the prescribing and administration of opioid medication at the hospital between 1987 and 2001. The report identified a pattern of institutional failings and found that 456 patients had their lives shortened, with the possibility that the number could be higher. These conclusions corroborated longstanding concerns raised by whistleblowers, medical staff, and relatives of the deceased.

Despite the panel’s findings, no prosecutions had taken place as of 2024, and the question of criminal accountability remained unresolved.

Oversight Failures and Ongoing Investigations

Concerns regarding prescribing practices at Gosport War Memorial Hospital were first formally raised in 1989, when nurses expressed alarm over the administration of opioids under the supervision of Dr. Jane Barton. Despite these early warnings, no substantial action was taken by hospital management or regulatory bodies for several years. Ann Reeves and other campaigners have alleged that these inactions contributed to a prolonged systemic failure, involving not only individuals directly responsible for patient care but also oversight bodies, law enforcement agencies, and successive governments.

Since Reeves’ initial correspondence with the hospital in early 2000—requesting access to her mother Elsie Devine’s medical records—multiple reviews and investigations have been conducted. These include inquiries by Portsmouth HealthCare NHS Trust, an independent review of Elsie Devine’s case, the Commission for Health Improvement, Professor Richard Baker’s review into mortality rates, Hampshire Constabulary, the Crown Prosecution Service, the General Medical Council, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, Hampshire Coroners, the Gosport Independent Panel, and, more recently, Kent and Essex Police.

Despite the breadth and duration of these inquiries, criminal accountability and a sense of justice for the affected families remain unresolved as of April 2025.

In addition to campaigning for justice, Reeves has publicly challenged how her mother’s case has been portrayed in official narratives, arguing that it has at times been mischaracterised in ways that diminish the concerns of affected families and undermine their calls for accountability. Reeves also called for amendments to her mother's case study in the GIP report when facts were manipulated and was granted those amendments.

Legacy and Continued Advocacy

As of 2025, Ann Reeves continues to advocate for justice in relation to the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. Her campaign seeks criminal accountability for those deemed responsible for the inappropriate prescribing practices and for the institutional failures that allowed concerns raised by whistleblowers to go unaddressed. In addition, Reeves supports broader reform in medical regulation and the establishment of clearer protocols to ensure transparency when patient safety concerns are reported.

Reeves has organised and participated in several protests and silent marches, including events held in London. She also submitted a petition to the UK Government proposing the introduction of “Elsie’s Law,” a legislative measure intended to require broader consultation before prescribing end-of-life medication, and to ensure that families are included in the decision-making process at every stage.

Alongside her campaigning, Reeves has continued to raise concerns about the role of various institutions and individuals in what she characterises as a systemic failure and cover-up. While awaiting the conclusion of a fifth police investigation into the events at Gosport, Reeves is also preparing a written account of her experiences, documenting the challenges faced when seeking answers through official channels.

Her long-running efforts have contributed to public awareness of the issues at Gosport and have provided support to other families pursuing similar concerns in the healthcare system.