FAMILIES concerned about the treatment of relatives who died at a Hampshire hospital are being asked to come forward as part of a groundbreaking Hillsborough-style inquiry.

Bishop James Jones has been appointed to chair an independent panel into the care and deaths of patients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital over a time period spanning three decades.

And today the Gosport Independent Panel is kick-starting a campaign to invite anyone who may have worries to contact the panel and discuss their worries in confidence.

The panel was set up last year to address historic concerns raised by families over a number of years about the initial care of their relatives at the hospital, and it is reviewing and analysing documents and evidence held by a number of organisations.

Bishop Jones previously chaired an independent panel which revealed the truth behind the Hillsborough disaster, when 96 football fans died and hundreds more were injured at an FA Cup semi final in Sheffield in 1989.

Since the panel's inception the number of families raising concerns has trebled and Bishop Jones is keen to hear from anyone who has not yet got in touch.

He said: "As chair of the panel, I would like to invite anyone who wishes to raise any historic concerns about the treatment of patients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital to contact the panel.

"Many families have concerns about the way their relatives were treated and how their complaints have been handled. I want to make sure families' views are taken into account and fully considered by the panel.

Daily Echo:

Bishop James Jones

"These are concerns that they have held that will just not go away and there have been a number of investigations, but none has satisfied the minds of the families."

The common denominator in families coming forward is that their relatives went into the hospital and died suddenly, or much earlier than expected.

The next stage of the inquiry is for the panel to consult with families of the deceased and take their views into consideration before producing a report providing an overview of the information, which is expected to be published in 2017.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage has previously backed the appeal and urged anyone with information to get in touch with the panel.

Anyone who would like to contact the panel confidentially can do so by completing a form at gosportpanel.independent.gov.uk/contact, by emailing enquiries@gosportpanel.independent.gov.uk, or by calling 0207 972 4212 during office hours.