More than £4m in compensation has been paid out to children wrongly diagnosed with epilepsy by a controversial doctor.

The 105 pay-outs have been made to former patients of Dr Andrew Holton treated by him at Leicester Royal Infirmary between 1990 and 2001.

Amounts paid out have varied from sums of a few thousand pounds to about £240,000.

Dr Holton was suspended in 2001 after a series of complaints dating back to 1995.

An inquiry found he had misdiagnosed 618 cases and put 500 children on the wrong doses of medication.

Parents said that the medication caused their children to suffer side-effects, such as black-outs and drug-induced hazes.

A further 89 compensation cases are expected to be decided by the end of next year.

Solicitor Jane Williams, from law firm Freeth Cartwright which has handled most of the compensation cases, said: "The families have been able to sit down round a table with three independent consultants and it takes as long as it needs to.

"Invariably, some parents feel guilty about what happened. With the panel, they get independent experts telling them it was not their fault."

A total of £4.4m has been paid out since legal proceedings began in 2003.

The cases are dealt with by a special panel, avoiding the need for court hearings and minimising stress for families.

Experts on the panel – a consultant paediatric neurologist, an educational psychologist and a child psychiatrist – consider whether Dr Holton was negligent in his diagnosis or treatment, and if he was, what short or long-term problems that caused. .

Jill Foreman, from Coalville, went through the panel process last year and her son, Alex, won a five-figure payout.

Alex, now 24 and needing full-time care, was treated by Dr Holton for epilepsy for 10 years. The panel agreed that he was prescribed too many drugs.

Mrs Foreman, 56, said Alex was a "zombie", missing out on much of his education.

Doctors in London later discovered his main problem was autism, not epilepsy.

Last year, she went through a 10-hour panel hearing to look into the treatment, followed by a Crown Court case to determine the compensation.

She said: "Now I have that comfort knowing that there is money for him for care should my health deteriorate.

"I know that it was worth doing it."

Dr Holton was suspended in 2001 by the trust. A ban on him working with children was lifted in 2003 by the GMC while it continued its investigation. He returned to work in 2004.

In January 2006, the GMC allowed him to continue practising, but said he could not work with children. The condition expired in October 2007.

He now works as a consultant neurophysiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

A spokesman for the trust said: "Dr Holton does not feel it is appropriate for him to comment."

A Leicester hospitals spokeswoman said: "Our solicitors are working hard to fully co-operate with claimants so that all outstanding matters can be brought to a conclusion."