A doctor at a children's hospital where thousands of organs were stockpiled by a maverick pathologist failed to intervene when presented with early evidence of the scandal, the General Medical Council was told yesterday.

John Martin, a former medical director at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, had been informed in 1994 that pathologist Dick van Velzen had kept a 15-year-old boy's organs without parental consent.

Adequate steps at this point would have reduced the scale of the later crisis, the hearing in Manchester was told.

Dr Martin, who is 68 and now retired, could be struck off the medical register if he is found guilty of serious professional misconduct. The hearing is expected to last five days.

More than 12 doctors from Alder Hey were referred to the General Medical Council in the aftermath of the Redfern report into organ retention at the hospital. The report had concluded that thousands of organs had been stockpiled by hospitals, including Alder Hey.

This is the only case that has led to a full hearing before the GMC's conduct committee, although other medical professionals have received letters warning them of their future conduct.

Dr Martin, from Holywell, Flintshire, is also accused of failing to take adequate steps when told of problems with postmortem examinations and tissue samples.

Andrew Collender, for the GMC, said Dr Martin was made aware of inadequacies in the hospital's pathology services by a written report from Prof van Velzen and a letter from another doctor in 1991.

He should also have intervened when he heard that Prof van Velzen had disregarded a request on a postmortem con sent form for the 15-year-old boy, when he took more organs than the parents had allowed, Mr Collender said.

Dr Martin had been referred to the GMC by the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, who said such a situation should never be repeated.

Much of the criticism in the Redfern report was levelled at Prof van Velzen, who has since been barred from practising in Britain.

Earlier this year, the NHS trust responsible for Alder Hey hospital made a public apology to the families of children whose organs were retained. The apology was part of a settlement, accepted by nearly all the 1,154 claimants, which also included a cash offer totalling £5m for the families.

Doctors and researchers who remove or retain human organs and tissue without consent were told this month they could face up to three years in jail and unlimited fines.