A further 19 hospitals are to have their links with disgraced television presenter Jimmy Savile investigated, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said today.
In a written ministerial statement, Mr Hunt said he expected reports to be delivered by next June. The 19 hospitals will be investigated by their relevant health trusts but each investigation will be properly monitored.
They are in addition to an initial 13 inquiries into hospitals which are believed to have been visited by the disgraced television presenter. Savile is thought to have used his position to abuse vulnerable patients, many of them children.
The total number of hospitals now being investigated is 32.
The 19 additional hospitals under investigation are:
:: Barnet General Hospital
:: Booth Hall Children's Hospital
:: De La Pole Hospital
:: Dryburn Hospital
:: Hammersmith Hospital
:: Leavesden Secure Mental Hospital
:: Marsden Hospital
:: Maudsley Hospital
:: North Manchester General Hospital
:: Odstock Hospital
:: Pinderfields Hospital
:: Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital
:: Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead
:: Royal Free Hospital, London
:: Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle
:: Seacroft Hospital, Leeds
:: St Mary's Hospital, Carshalton
:: Whitby Memorial Hospital
:: Wythenshawe Hospital
After details first emerged about cases of alleged abuse by Savile in hospitals, three major investigations were launched at Leeds General Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Broadmoor Hospital.
Further investigations were then announced at ten hospitals across the country. These latest inquiries come off the back of investigations by the Metropolitan Police into Savile.
Detectives investigating the cases of abuse gleaned further information that patients at the 19 hospitals could have been targeted by Savile and so further inquiries were ordered.
In his written statement to MPs, Mr Hunt said former barrister Kate Lampard, who was asked to oversee the Department of Health's investigations into Savile, will make sure the inquiries are properly carried out.
Mr Hunt said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has completed its document review and transferred various material concerning Jimmy Savile and the NHS to the Department of Health.
"The information has been passed on to the relevant hospital trust for further investigation as appropriate. Names of the hospitals are taken from the information received. These include hospitals that may have closed in which case the information has been passed on to the legacy organisation.
"Kate Lampard, who was asked to provide independent assurance of the NHS investigations on behalf of the Department of Health, will provide general assurance of the quality of all reports in her final assurance report.
"We expect the final reports of all the investigations to be completed by June 2014, with publication sooner if that is possible."
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "It is essential that all the information is considered and investigations are thorough in order to learn the lessons about Jimmy Savile's pattern of offending."
Liz Dux, a lawyer specialising in abuse at legal firm Slater & Gordon which is representing 72 victims, said there were concerns that inquiries into other hospitals had only just started.
She said all of the victims represented by her firm had given detailed statements to Operation Yewtree - the police investigation into sexual abuse sparked by the Savile scandal.
Ms Dux said: "Whilst the victims of Savile would wish to ensure that the NHS inquiry is as comprehensive as possible, they have real concerns as to why the Department of Health has only just started its investigations into other hospitals now.
"The victims will be very upset about further delays into the NHS inquiry which will prolong their suffering."
