Operation Magenta was established in September 2018 after a report by the Gosport Independent Panel concluded that hundreds of deaths at the hospital were potentially linked to the use of opiates prescribed by medical staff without the appropriate justification. The panel had been looking into the deaths since January 2015 following concerns raised by family members over the course of many years.
Following an initial assessment of the panel's findings to establish if there was sufficient new evidence that had not already been previously submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, a full police investigation was launched in May 2019.
Operation Magenta is led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Jerome of the Metropolitan Police Service, working alongside experienced police officers and staff from across the United Kingdom. The direction and control of the investigation is owned by Kent Police.