More than 450 patients died between 1987 and 2007 after being prescribed a dangerous dose of pain-killing drugs.
Matt Hancock said he would strengthen protection for staff whistle-blowers. Whistle-blowers is a person who informs a person/organisation engaged in forbidden by law activity.
In the Commons statements, he said there had been a “systematic failure to respond to terrible behaviour”.
A report that was by an independent panel of inquiry had reported 456 lives were shortened between the late 1980s and 2000 as a result of the dangerous over prescribing of opiates. It is found that some of the patients did not need the drug, families of the victims have been campaigning for two decades about the situation.
Mr Hancock said: “I reiterate a profound and unambiguous apology for the hurt and anguish of the families.”
Mr Hancock also proposed that tough new measures will be taken to ensure that lessons are learnt from the incident. Ever NHS trust in England will be required to report annually on how concerns raised by staff and patients have been addressed.
Previous health secretary Jeremy Hunt introduced a nationwide pilot Whistle-blowers trust support scheme in 2017 following recommendations from a public inquiry into deaths at Stafford Hospital.
The report on the Gosport deaths found there was a disregard for human life involving many patients from 1989 to 2000. It said considering missing records a future 200 patients may have also had their live shortened due to the dangerous dose. There is only one person that is to face disciplinary action for this, Dr Jane Barton was found guilty of failing in her care of 12 patients at Gosport between 1996 and 1999. No prosecutions were brought, and she was not struck off the medical register after choosing to retire.
After this incident it is said that nurses should feel free to challenge doctors about their decisions.
