Hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital are to be investigated by a new force after Hampshire's chief constable admitted its inquiries were not fit for purpose.

Officers are to hand over future investigations to another constabulary after a damning report found that it had failed to properly examine multiple reports by families and whistleblowers that doctors were giving patients dangerously high levels of opioid drugs.

Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney said the force “cannot hide” from the “considerable damage to confidence” after the severe criticism it received in the report of the Gosport Independent Panel, which found that more than 650 people had had their lives cut short as a result of the prescribing regime at the hospital.

Three police investigations between 1998 and 2010 did not result in any prosecutions and the police were criticised in the report for failing to properly consider pursuing charges against the hospital or individuals.

The announcement came after the health secretary said the "blame culture" in the NHS must end to prevent another scandal where whistleblowers are ignored.