FAMILIES of elderly patients who died while at Gosport War Memorial Hospital are calling for a public inquiry into their deaths.

At a press conference staged by a legal firm which is representing 27 families, solicitor Ann Alexander confirmed they would be pressing for a full and thorough investigation.

She said: "We would not rule out calling for an inquiry from any agency but I understand the police are currently reinvestigating complaints and I will be meeting with them later this week."

At the press conference held this morning it was also revealed that 30 more concerned relatives have complained to Hampshire police regarding the care their loved ones received while recuperating at the cottage hospital during the late 1990s.

In a statement read by Richard Follis of Alexander Harris, the legal firm that also represented the families of victims of mass murderer Harold Shipman, criticism was voiced on a lack of co-ordination between the police and other agencies during previous investigations.

He said: "Numerous relatives had made complaints to police, the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the hospital trust and the health authority.

In several cases early complaints to the police had met with little or no satisfactory response.

"The family hope that a proper investigation and inquiry would at last be undertaken to look into numerous concerns expressed and that where appropriate there would be accountability for any individual or system failure that might have occurred."

At a meeting of the action group yesterday evening support was given for a consolidated investigation which could lead to a public inquiry, a move relatives are already backing.

Bernard Page, whose mother Eva Page died while being treated at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in 1998, said: "We want a full inquiry into this similar to the Harold Shipman case. Not behind closed doors but out in the open so that everyone is accountable. We are pleased that we have now formed the action group and are being properly represented."

The group was formed two months ago after a report by the Commission for Health Improvement criticised the prescribing of high doses of strong pain killers to elderly patients. The report also prompted a clinical audit by the Department of Health, the result of which is expected early next year.