New Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims reported every week, as the number of hospitals under investigation doubles to 32



Health Secretary reveals an extra 19 hospitals are now part of major inquiry

13 NHS institutions already under investigation into abuse of patients



Lawyers claim BBC presenter's abuse at NHS worse than on BBC premises

New sex abuse claims against Jimmy Savile are being made weekly, it emerged today as the number of hospitals under investigation over the scandal more than doubled to 32.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said an extra 19 hospitals had been caught up in the scandal, in addition to 13 already subject to an urgent inquiry.

It suggests the disgraced former BBC presenter’s abuse of children on NHS premises may have been more regular and more serious than those offences committed at the Corporation.



Inquiry: The scope of NHS investigations into abuse by former BBC presenter Jimmy Savile has been widened again

I nvestigations were first launched into Savile's activities at Broadmoor, Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary when details of his years of abuse emerged last year. It was then widened to include 10 hopsitals across the country.

But in a written statement today, Mr Hunt said that Scotland Yard inquiries had unearthed more claims of abuse at another 19 hospitals. They include Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, London and Whitby.

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.

THE 19 ADDITIONAL HOSPITALS UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER SAVILE

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

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.'

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.

The wave of allegations made against him 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.

Lawyers say they are receiving fresh claims against Savile every week. Alan Collins, who is acting for about 80 alleged victims of the disgraced presenter, told the Standard: 'People are still coming forward. We are getting half a dozen new queries a week in connection with Savile and other people.'

He has been interviewing the latest alleged victim who is a woman who now lives in Los Angeles.



The Royal Free Hospital in London and North Manchester General Hospital are among the hospitals now under investigation Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said reports into the scale of Savile's campaign of abuse in hospitals will be published by June next year

Lawyers representing some of his victims have claimed Savile's offences on NHS property were just as bad as those committed on the BBC premises and in some cases much worse.

Liz Dux, head of abuse at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, who represents 72 potential Savile victims, said in October: 'While the victims are encouraged by news that the NHS inquiries will be comprehensive investigations of other institutions that may have been involved, the news that the time-frame for concluding the investigation has been extended until next June will be met with dismay.

'My clients all need closure and whilst we welcome a detailed understanding of how Savile was able to operate unchecked for so many years, at the same time we need to recognise that until these reports are concluded their suffering continues.'

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.'



BRITAIN'S 'PREDATORY' PAEDOPHILE: HOW THE SAVILE SCANDAL UNFOLDED



Savile after he received his knighthood in 1996 October 29, 2011: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, aged 84. His death came after a spell of pneumonia. December 2011: BBC drops Newsnight investigation into his years of sex attacks.



September 30, 2012: It emerges that allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary, due to be aired on October 3.

October 1: Surrey Police confirms Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2: Reports that Jersey and Surrey police both investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children’s homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed. October 2: Jeremy Paxman has a furious stand-off with his Newsnight bosses because he disbelieves editor Peter Rippon's blog into why he dropped the Savile abuse investigation. October 7: Prime Minister David Cameron calls for the 'truly shocking' allegations to be fully investigated.

October 9: Scotland Yard reveals they are looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims and launches Operation Yewtree.

October 11: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12: Then BBC director general George Entwistle offers a 'profound and heartfelt apology' to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the 'culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here'.

October 19: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree, the inquiry into alleged child abuse by Savile, is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people. October 22: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon, will step aside, it's announced.

October 25: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a “watershed” investigation into sex crime.

October 26: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

November 2: Newsnight runs controversial report which wrongly linked former Tory party chairman Lord McAlpine to child abuse allegations. December 19: Pollard Review reveals better leadership could have prevented 'chaos and confusion' at BBC over Savile scandal. Peter Rippon replaced as editor of Newsnight. February 14, 2013: It's announced that the BBC’s most high-profile woman executive Helen Boaden, formerly director of news, will become director of radio. She had been criticised in the Pollard Review for failing to tackle the 'virtual meltdown' in parts of the news department. February 22: Pollard Review transcripts and appendices are released on BBC website. March 6: Britain's top prosecutor Keir Starmer announces tough new measures to avoid 'another Savile moment'.





