A MEMBER of the General Medical Council (GMC) appeared before one of the group's disciplinary panels yesterday over job references he gave for disgraced surgeon Richard Neale.

Professor James Drife, from Leeds Medical School, is accused of painting the North Yorkshire surgeon in a more favourable light than was justified.

He provided a verbal reference for Neale to Leicester Royal Infirmary, in 1995, and a written reference to St Mary's Hospital, on the Isle of Wight, in 1996.

In both, he made no mention of being aware that Neale had been cautioned by police for an incident in a public toilet in Richmond, North Yorkshire, the GMC panel was told.

Vivian Robinson, counsel for the GMC, said Prof Drife's actions fell below the standards expected of a medical practitioner.

Neale was struck off in July 2000 after he was found to have botched operations at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

In 1995, Neale was trying to find another job after complaints from Friarage Hospital patients.

He was employed in Northallerton in 1985, despite having been struck off in Canada after the death of two patients.

Mr Robinson told the fitness to practise panel, sitting in Manchester, that if the allegations against the professor were upheld, they would amount to misconduct because his behaviour had been improper and unprofessional.

Prof Drife, from Leeds, denies that his fitness to practise is impaired.

The hearing heard that, in April 1991, Neale received a formal caution from North Yorkshire Police for conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, relating to an incident in a men's public toilet.

Four years later, in autumn 1995, Neale had a meeting with Prof Drife.

Neale, who had known Prof Drife professionally since 1990, told him he wanted to leave his job at the Friarage Hospital and asked him if he would act as a reference.

Neale told Prof Drife about his police caution, and the professor agreed to supply him with a reference when the occasion arose.

In late 1995, Neale applied for a job as locum consultant at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Prof Drife phoned Professor David Taylor at the infirmary to offer his support for Neale's application.

Prof Drife told Prof Taylor that Neale had been a consultant in Northallerton and was an experienced clinician.

He also told Prof Taylor that Neale was looking for an opportunity to work elsewhere because of "embarrassing personal circumstances", the GMC heard.

Mr Robinson said: "Professor Drife did not elaborate as to what those circumstances were and Professor Taylor did not ask him."

It is also alleged that, in April 2000, Prof Drife, in his role as a medical screener and when asked to consider a case file complaint against Neale, decided the case could not proceed, and failed to tell the registrar that he knew Neale.

The case will resume on Wednesday.

Read more about the Richard Neale scandal here.