A CONSULTANT accused of having an improper relationship with a woman patient has been criticised by health officials who investigated her complaints, The Northern Echo can reveal.

It is understood that Friarage Hospital consultant gynaecologist Neil Hebblethwaite, 44, may now face disciplinary action over the complaints

A confidential report about the allegations will go to the next Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust meeting on Monday.

The latest scandal at the North Yorkshire hospital is another major blow to public confidence at the troubled NHS trust, which is still reeling after the striking-off of rogue surgeon Richard Neale, a former consultant gynaecologist at the Friarage.

In July, Mr Neale was struck off the medical register after the General Medical Council found him guilty of serious professional misconduct.

The trust is currently processing 60 complaints from former patients of Mr Neale.

The woman patient, who made the new allegations against Mr Neale's replacement, said she had been through nine months of "sheer hell" after making a complaint to the trust in January.

Because she has signed a gagging clause imposed by the trust, the woman cannot comment on the findings of the internal inquiry.

But she said: "I will wait to see what the trust will do and if they do not deal with it properly I shall have to consider my next step."

The patient has also referred the matter to the General Medical Council.

Part of her submission to the GMC included evidence that she had been tested for a sexually transmitted disease while the alleged relationship with Mr Hebblethwaite was on-going.

The married consultant, who is a father-of-four, has been on leave since the allegations were made public.

Pat Martin, director of nursing at the trust, confirmed that the report will be considered in the private part of the trust's agenda on Monday.

Mrs Martin said the allegations against Mr Hebblethwaite were "a very serious matter" and said the trust board would take "appropriate action" on Monday.

But she said it was unlikely that the trust would make a public statement about their intended course of action as it was an internal matter.

Graham Maloney, the spokesman for the North Yorkshire campaign group which has been pressing for a public inquiry into the Friarage's role in the earlier Richard Neale scandal, urged the hospital to make a statement after Monday's meeting.

Mrs Martin said the trust had now agreed to review its complaints procedure to make it more user friendly