More hospitals to be investigated over Jimmy Savile allegations Jeremy Hunt says 32 hospitals are under investigation over links to claims of sexual abuse by presenter.
A further 19 hospitals are to be investigated over their links to allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt has said.
The move takes the number of hospitals under investigation to 32. Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, is believed to have abused hundreds of children. He had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville hospital, an office and living quarters at Broadmoor, and widespread access to Leeds general infirmary. They were the main focus of the initial investigations, being the first to come under scrutiny, but another 10 were added in January.
The wave of allegations made against Savile sparked the launch of the Operation Yewtree police investigation, which is also looking into claims about others linked to him, as well as separate allegations about a number of high-profile figures.
Hunt said last month that new inquiries could be launched after the Metropolitan police found "further relevant information" about Savile.
He said he had asked the Met to review its evidence to see whether any of the information it held "related to health and care settings".
In a written statement to parliament on Friday, the health secretary 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. These include hospitals that may have closed, in which case the information has been passed onto the legacy organisation."
He said the reports from the investigations were to be completed by June 2014, "with publication sooner if that is possible".
Kate Lampard, a former barrister, will ensure that the investigations are carried out properly.
The further hospitals under scrutiny are spread over a wide geographical area, from London to Newcastle.
Allegations against Savile were first broadcast in ITV's Exposure documentary, in October 2012, a year after the Jim'll Fix It presenter died. It featured the harrowing accounts by five women of assaults by Savile, after an extensive investigation. After the programme went out hundreds more women came forward to say they had been abused by him.
In May, West Yorkshire police apologised to Savile's victims for the force's mishandling of intelligence and its "over-reliance on personal friendships" with the disgraced TV star, admitting it made mistakes that left Savile free to attack dozens of young people. The Guardian
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