THE doctor in charge of care at a Hampshire hospital where medication contributed to the death of five patients is to face a fitness to practise hearing for alleged over-prescribing of painkillers, the General Medical Council confirmed today.

An inquest jury ruled last month that the deaths of five patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital were ''more than minimally'' contributed to by the medication given.

They also found that for three of these, the use of painkillers was inappropriate for their condition or symptoms.

But it also ruled the medication had been administered for therapeutic reasons in all five cases and that medication had not contributed to a further five deaths.

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Now Dr Jane Barton, who was in charge of care at the hospital at the time of the deaths in the late 1990s, is to face a GMC hearing expected to last 11 weeks starting on June 8.

The inquiry will look at the treatment of 12 patients and will examine a number of allegations including whether she gave starting doses of diamorphine which were too high.

The panel will also look at whether the dosage range she prescribed was too wide.

Other allegations include that she did not consult with colleagues when a patient's condition deteriorated and she failed to keep accurate notes.

The allegations all relate to the period between January 1996 and November 1999.

Dr Barton left the hospital the following year but still operates as a GP in Gosport.

The GMC has confirmed that Dr Barton has been subject to an Interim Orders Panel (IOP) since July last year.

As part of the conditions imposed on her while she is under investigation, she is banned from prescribing diamorphine.

Hampshire police carried out a series of investigations into the treatment of 92 patients at GWMH in the late 1990s but no action was taken.

The families of those who died believe that sedatives such as diamorphine were over-prescribed at the hospital and this led to the deaths of their relatives, who were receiving recuperative care.

But staff said that many of those who died were seriously ill.

The campaign by the families led to last month's inquest being given special permission to be held by Justice Secretary Jack Straw because seven of the bodies had since been cremated.

The fitness to practise hearing will be held in London between June 8 and August 21.