INVESTIGATIONS by a specialist team from the Royal College of Surgeons are continuing into the conduct of an orthopaedic surgeon at Burnley General Hospital

The Rapid Response Review team from the RCS in London was called to Burnley General Hospital in April at the request of the Health Care Trust after alleged irregularities.

The nature of the irregularities is unclear but the RCS said the review teams were designed to investigate a whole range of issues surrounding the conduct of hospital staff.

The surgeon has not been named, although a spokesman for the Health Trust confirmed an investigation had started at the hospital yesterday and would continue today.

Two specialist doctors, in this case orthopaedic surgeons, one from the Trust and one from the British Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, will be leading the inquiry. The team from the RCS will be looking at case notes and interviewing staff.

Any recommendations will be made to the Health Trust at the end of the investigation and, if serious malpractice is uncovered, the surgeon in question can be referred to the General Medical Council.

The rapid response teams were set up in 1998 to look into concerns at hospitals with a view to preventing problems becoming too serious. So far about 70 investigations have been carried out across the country.

Angela Brown, spokesman for the Burnley Health Care Trust, confirmed that an investigation was ongoing at the hospital.