A DOCTOR arrested in connection with the death of a teenage patient has been replaced at his surgery.

Dr Thomas White was questioned by detectives in Skipton, North Yorkshire, about the death of a 19-year-old female patient earlier this week.

Yesterday, the surgery where Dr White works confirmed that he would be replaced by a locum until further notice.

The 46-year-old GP, who was interviewed on Thursday over the death last year of a former patient, has been bailed to reappear at Skipton police station on March 3.

He was released without charge pending further inquiries on Thursday night, and police yesterday stressed that the investigation centred around an isolated case.

However, the identity of the patient and any details about the case are not being released by police at the request of her family.

A spokesman for the Fisher Medical Centre, on Gargrave Road, Skipton, said: "On behalf of Dr White, I can simply confirm that he was helping police with their inquiries. I cannot comment further at this stage."

North Yorkshire Health Authority has also refused to comment about the details of the case, but confirmed that Dr White would not be working in the foreseeable future.

Dr Gavin McBurnie, director of primary care, said: "The health authority is not in a position to offer any information related to the police investigation concerning a Skipton doctor, other than that the doctor in question will not be at work.

"The authority has agreed to fund the appointment of a locum in order to maintain services for patients."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "There is very little information we can add regarding the arrest of the Skipton doctor in relation to the death of a woman in the Craven area. We do stress that the investigation concerns a single specific death."

Dr White's wife, Dr Helen Wilkinson, is also understood to practise at the Fisher Medical Centre and has cancelled some of her appointments