Hospital bosses who paid a gynaecologist almost £100,000 to stay at home because they could not agree terms for her return to work have been ordered to reinstate her immediately.

A tribunal ruled that South Tyneside District Hospital executives were told they should have given Dr Feyi Awotona her job back 18 months ago and must make sure she returns to work.

The court process is estimated to have cost the taxpayer in excess of £1m, not including compensation to be awarded to Dr Awotona.

The doctor won a case of unfair dismissal because of racial discrimination against the trust in April last year.

Before she returns, the 50-year-old consultant must undergo six months retraining because of the time she has been away from her job.

She had wanted to do this at South Tyneside but tribunal chairman Peter Rennie agreed with the trust, which wants her to study at the University Hospital of North Durham instead.

Until she starts work, Dr Awotona will continue to be paid for her £68,000-a-year job.

Her bosses started paying her last May, after she could have been reinstated, and she is currently earning nearly £200 a day to sit at home on top of a compensation claim yet to be heard.

This could amount to £2.4m in damages, lost wages, pension rights and money which she could have made in private practice.

She said: "I understand the pressures on resources in the NHS, but my only desire is to be allowed to return to the job I love."

No one from the NHS trust was available for comment.