AN orthopaedic surgeon at Burnley General Hospital is under investigation by a specialist team from the Royal College of Surgeons.

The Rapid Response Review team from the RCS in London were called to Burnley General Hospital at the request of the health care trust after alleged irregularities arose.

A spokesman for the team would not confirm whether the surgeon had been suspended from duty while the investigation is taking place.

The nature of the irregularities is unclear but the RCS said the review teams were designed to investigate a whole range of issues surrounding the conduct of hospital staff.

The surgeon has not been named, although a spokesman for the health trust confirmed an investigation had started at the hospital yesterday and would continue today. Two specialist doctors, in this case orthopaedic surgeons, one from the trust and one from the British Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, will be leading the inquiry.

The team from the RCS will be looking at case notes and interviewing staff as part of the procedure. Any recommendations will be made to the health trust at the end of the investigation and, if serious malpractice is uncovered, the surgeon in question can be referred to the General Medical Council.

A spokesman for the Royal College of Surgeons said: "I can confirm that there is a rapid response review team undertaking an investigation at Burnley General Hospital, although we cannot release specific details about the case."

The rapid response teams were set up in 1998 to try to look into concerns at hospitals with a view to preventing problems becoming too serious. So far about 70 investigations have been carried out across the country.

Angela Brown, spokesman for the Burnley Health Care Trust, confirmed that an investigation was under way at the hospital but declined to comment further.