A BLACKBURN doctor tried to juggle two full time jobs more than 300 miles apart, a disciplinary hearing was told.

Dr Nour Ahmed-Ebiarry, an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant, began working at the former Queen's Park Hospital in 1996.

But in April 2005, he took on another job at St Mary's Hospital, London, and started work in September.

After taking up his new position, he took large periods of sickness and holiday leave to work at the London hospital, a General Medical Council hearing in Manchester was told.

Dr Ahmed-Ebiarry was involved in making a number of complaints against the Blackburn hospital starting at the end of 2004, the hearing was told.

And it was alleged that he began work for another trust while trying to negotiate a severance package from his first employers.

He began making unusual holiday applications in July, taking most of August off sick and applying for a long period of leave in October, the hearing was told.

Between August 30, 2005 and October 8 he took a total of 26 days leave from Blackburn, the hearing was told.

After negotiations with the hospital regarding his complaints of bullying and racial harassment, he involved the British Medical Association in trying to force the Blackburn hospital to give him a severance deal worth two years' salary in return for his resignation.

Robin Kitching, for the GMC, said the doctor had agreed to start work at St Mary's Hospital in September, despite still officially working in Blackburn.

He said: "Unbeknown to anyone at either trust and indeed to the British Medical Association he had already begun to work elsewhere while trying to negotiate a severance package from East Lancashire Hospitals."

He said: "He worked in London throughout Septem-ber and then requested leave from October 10 to 15, even asking for patient's operations to be cancelled.

"He told St Mary's he had something very pressing to attend to. It was in fact the case that he needed to return to work at Blackburn."

For two days in October he was due to be in work at Blackburn but abandoned patients there to continue working at St Mary's, the hearing was told.

It was not until the end of October that the two hospitals realised what was happening, after a doctor at St Mary's contacted a colleague in Blackburn and discovered the deception.

Dr Ahmed-Ebiarry admitted working for both trusts, but denies his actions were dishonest, inappro-priate, or against the best interests of his patients.

He will find out today whether he is to be struck off from the medical register or other disciplinary action taken against him.

(Proceeding)