MORE calls flooded in yesterday to a phoneline set up after the suspension of a North-East hospital consultant.

Health trust staff manning an inquiry line for patients of orthopaedic surgeon Mr Kassim Mahdi answered 67 calls, following the 70 they took on Thursday, the first day.

Mr Mahdi was excluded from his post at hospitals in Bishop Auckland and Durham by his employers County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust last week pending an investigation into aspects of his clinical practice.

The trust has referred the issue to medical watchdog the General Medical Council which will decide what action, if any, should be taken.

No details of the nature of the investigation have been given.

Mr Mahdi's patients have been offered appointments with other consultants.

Patient Christine Clarke, 54, from Spennymoor, called the line yesterday to support Mr Mahdi and urged others to do the same.

He has treated both Mrs Clarke and her 62-year-old husband, Mel, over the past eight years.

She said: "I refused to seen anybody else. I will wait for Mr Mahdi to come back.

"We think he is a wonderful surgeon and a perfect gentleman. Between us we have had five operations carried out by him and his expertise has saved my husband from being a cripple.

"He operated on his back when other consultants had given up on him.

"I had a knee operation in August and I can't speak highly enough of him."

A fellow surgeon at Bishop Auckland and Darlington said: "I had dealings with Mr Mahdi on a professional level and there is nothing to report on him other than extreme dedication to his patients and hard work."

Another member of staff said: "Everyone on the team is devastated. He's highly respected by staff and patients alike. Since he arrived from Iraq he has won our respect.

"I have never known such a hard-working and dedicated man. He even came in to visit patients when he was on holiday and kept working during the Iraq war even though his family were still over there."