A GP practice in Prime Minister Tony Blair's Trimdon constituency has full-time GP cover again following a merger.

Dr Sivagurunathan Srirangalingam, known as Dr Sri, was "voluntarily" removed from the medical register earlier this year.

The GP, who once treated Mr Blair, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct in May 1999 and later suspended for nine months.

He successfully appealed, but applied for voluntary erasure after a further complaint over his treatment of a lollipop lady.

Sedgefield Primary Care Trust took over the running of the practice and have been providing locum cover since March when Dr Sri's doctor wife went off on long-term sick leave.

Now the practice has merged with Dr Jones and Partners, which covers Sedgefield, Fishburn and Bishop Middleham.

The merger means patients from Dr Sri's practice will receive care from Dr Jones and Partners, which has six full- time GPs.

The practice is also looking to recruit a further two full-time GPs.

Nigel Porter, chief executive of Sedgefield PCT, said: "As the largest GP practice in the Sedgefield and Fishburn area, Dr Jones and Partners has a good knowledge of the local area and its health needs.

"This new arrangement will bring improvements and stability to medical services that patients receive in the eastern side of the borough."

The merger will mean that Trimdon patients will in future have access to a number of diagnostic tests within their new GP practice, which would previously have meant a trip to hospital.