FIVE refugee doctors who fled repression in their own countries have found NHS jobs after retraining in the North-East.

Two of the five asylum seeking medics are working in North-East hospitals while the other three have had to move away from the region to find jobs.

Many other refugee doctors are expected to qualify soon.

The success of asylum-seeking doctors in gaining a foothold in the NHS owes much to the activities of Dr David Chappel.

Dr Chappel, who is public health director at North Tyneside Primary Care Trust, has been trying to help medically qualified refugees for the past three years.

Last year, he applied successfully for a £45,000 grant from the Department of Health to pay for the appointment of a project manager and et up a fund to help pay basic expenses.

This has speeded up the process but it remains very slow.

A total of 55 refugee doctors and six refugee dentists have been identified in the North-East.

Most are from places such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, but others are from Cuba, Russia and Africa.

Many are studying hard to pass examinations in English and medicine.

While Dr Chappel is delighted that a breakthrough has been achieved, he is clearly frustrated at the length of time it is taking to retrain foreign doctors when the health service is crying out for recruits.

"It is very important to have high standards in medicine, but what concerns us is where our way is sometimes impeded by bureaucracy," said Dr Chappel, who chairs the steering group of the North-East Programe for the Professional Integration of Refugee Health Workers.

He said that there was still uncertainty about employing refugees on the part of NHS employees, as well as "some racism".

Joanna Schuder, who manages the programme, said the refugee doctors "are the most determined people I have ever met. They are very focused on getting back into practice".

She is also in touch with 20 nurses and four midwives who were refugees seeking work in the NHS.

So far, only one nurse has found work - as a health care assistant at a North-East hospital - but others are hoping to follow suit.