To his patients across East lancashire he's Doctor Hamilton. To teenage Radio One listeners he's Mark, a friend they can trust. PAULINE HAWKINS met him

EVERY Sunday evening teenagers and young adults pour out their problems to the nation on a BBC Radio One show hosted by DJ Emma B and Dr Mark Hamilton.

Like other 'celebrity' doctors Hilary Jones and Mark Porter, Dr Hamilton provides expert advice on health and emotional problems through the media -- but that glamorous aspect of his job doesn't get in the way of his work in accident and emergency departments across Lancashire, including at Burnley, Accrington and Chorley hospitals.

Mark is a locum doctor, which allows him the freedom to pursue other aspects of his work through radio interviews, writing for websites and even appearing on TV -- he featured on Monday's Watchdog: Healthcheck on BBC1.

The 31-year-old, who lives in Manchester with his wife Juliette and three-year-old son Joseph, said: "It allows me to combine various activities whereas a full-time occupation or career in hospital medicine would not.

"To be a locum, you have to be a jack of all trades and know a little bit about everything from major trauma and medical problems like heart attacks and strokes to minor injuries like cuts and grazes as well as head injuries, sprains, drug abuse, the homeless and psychological problems."

Mark arrived in England from Bangor, Northern Ireland, when he was 18 and studied medicine at Manchester. He met his wife in the city and has lived there ever since.

His radio career began in September 1999 when the BBC advertised in the British Medical Journal for a medical professional to take part in a new show called Sunday Surgery. He auditioned, was chosen to broadcast with Emma B on Sundays from 9-11pm, and now travels down to London to co-present the show.

Mark said: "The programme is music based but orientated around and aimed at the teenage and student market, people from 14 to 24 years old. They telephone in with all sorts of things -- 20 to 30 percent of the calls are to do with medical matters, the rest is about emotions, relationships, love, sex and drugs.

"Some of the calls are quite personal, but they seem to trust us. It's quite a challenging role because in a lot of cases we have to give advice with only two or three minutes' warning."

Away from the media spotlight Mark works at 15-20 different hospitals across Lancashire and is well aware of the strain the National Health Service is under.

"People are noticeably becoming more hostile. Everybody is working hard and it is difficult when somebody has to wait four hours to be seen.

"I think it is a case of maintaining a decent professional relationship with patients and showing that you care. People seem to accept that, even if they have been waiting a long while, because they are treated with respect."

Although he sees numerous injuries in his work -- and admits to having injured himself doing DIY! -- he finds the hardest thing to do is tend to his toddler son if he suffers bumps and scrapes because of his emotional involvement.

"When it is your own friends and family it is actually more difficult because of the personal aspect," he said.