A DOCTOR who once treated Prime Minister Tony Blair and his family will ask medical chiefs to lift restrictions on his practice next week, two years after being found guilty of neglecting his patients.

Dr Sivaguranathan Srirangalingam, 60, known as "Dr Sri" to his patients in Trimdon Village, County Durham, is due to appear before the General Medical Council's Professional Conduct Committee on Thursday.

The GP could still be suspended or struck off unless he can convince the medical authorities he has raised his standards.

At his first appearance before the GMC, in April 1999, Dr Srirangalingam admitted to a series of blunders in his treatment of a local school crossing warden, a suicidal schizophrenic and a frail housewife.

The GMC heard at that time that he either did not turn up to see patients or carried out totally inadequate examinations.

Dr Srirangalingam, who shares his practice with his GP wife Sivaneshwary, was ordered to improve his clinical and communication skills and provide evidence to the council of his future professional development. He was also told to look at cutting his workload, which had contributed to his failings.

A year later, in May 2000, the GMC once again imposed conditions on Dr Srirangalingam for 12 months after hearing that the hard-working doctor was now a "reformed" GP.

It ordered him to keep a portfolio of his personal development plan and take regular audits of his practice.

A GMC spokeswoman said it was relatively unusual for doctors to be asked to come back to the council. Most cases involving alleged serious professional misconduct were dealt with there and then.

But in cases where conditions on a doctor's practice were imposed by the GMC this situation could continue almost indefinitely.