AN anaesthetist accused of botching an operation on a nine-year-old girl told a tribunal he had been suffering from stress in the run-up to the incident.

Dr Mariyappan Balasubramanian is accused of serious professional misconduct after the girl, who was being treated for a badly broken leg, suffered 30 per cent blood loss.

Another anaesthetist, Dr James Fenwick, had to step in to stabilise the girl's condition, during the September 2004 surgery at the former Blackburn Royal Infirmary, the hearing was told.

Later Dr Balasubramanian failed a three-week assessment at Burnley General Hospital and was put on paid leave until he was suspended by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in September 2005.

But the doctor, 66, told a General Medical Council fitness to practice hearing that he had been suffering from stress, which had affected his performance.

He said that he could only confide in one consultant anaesthetist in his department at Blackburn.

"He was sympathetic towards me but he was not able to come forward," said Dr Subramanian.

He also said that he was unaware of any professional counselling or support available at the Blackburn or Burnley hospitals.

Dr Subramanian said he had also consulted the Medical Professional Society, the national liability body, for advice.

"I knew I was not happy so I talked to one of the people from the MPS," he added.

HIs counsel, David Morris, has made a number of formal factual admissions in relation to certain aspects of the little girl's operation and the later assessment.

But Dr Subramanian denies serious professional misconduct - and especially disputes accusations that he had a tendency to become confused and had poor communication skills.

In relation to the operation, he concedes that the girl had suffered substantial blood loss but denied that he did not monitor her heart rate and blood pressure sufficiently.

Dr Balasubramanian, who was 15 months off retirement when the incident arose, was told he needed a substantial period of retraining before he could be allowed to return to work.

The hearing, in Manchester, continues.