AN inquest into the deaths of three patients of GP Howard Martin has heard he was passionate about offering personal care to patients, whom he regarded as friends.

Dr Martin was cleared in 2005 of murdering Frank Moss, Stanley Weldon and Harry Gittins in 2003 and 2004 by drugs overdoses.

All were his patients when he was practising in south Durham.

Dr Dinah Roy, a GP in Spennymoor, County Durham, and an NHS GP appraiser, carried out an appraisal with Dr Martin in April 2003.

She said he described himself as a popular GP, practising traditional values, considered his patients to be friends and was particularly passionate about personal care.

He also described himself as very blunt, annoyed by injustice and a proud and stubborn man.

Being old-fashioned and blunt are not necessarily bad things, said John Beggs QC, who is representing Dr Martin.

On Monday, Dr Ian Ruffet, head of the primary care support unit in County Durham, recalled an allegation of the doctor using diamorphine to help patients die being raised at a meeting in July 2000.

But a series of health and police officials who attended the meeting could not remember it being discussed.

Yesterday, Dr Ruffet, called back to clarify his evidence, said he still believed it had been discussed.

Reviewing his meeting notes he thought it was raised by the police, possibly as an explanation for another claim that prescriptions had been made for bogus patients.

John Beggs QC, for Dr Martin, said no further exploratory action was taken and a line was drawn under the bogus patients claim by August, suggesting all the experts agreed they had no substance. Dr Ruffet agreed.

The inquest also heard from Margaret Stewart, who was director of quality and performance with the health authority.

She said separate concerns raised in January 2001 about Dr Martin’s use of heroin for a terminally-ill patient who died were treated “with utmost seriousness within the heath authority”.

Mrs Stewart said: “The investigation ran on for a number of months and concluded with the police unable to establish any evidence of wrongdoing or malpractice that required further action.”

The inquest continues.