FAMILY doctors are being forced to fend off patients who take a "strong fancy" to them, it was claimed today.

Cases of sexual harassment against male and female GPs are rife in East Lancashire, according to GPs spokesman David Noblett.

His views echoed the results of a national survey of 1,500 GPs which claimed that one in 20 had been "sexually threatened" by patients.

Mr Noblett, secretary of East Lancashire Local Medical Committee, said: "There are patients who take a strong fancy to their GP.

"I have no doubt that a substantial number of GPs at some time in their career have been put into uncomfortable situations.

"The sort of thing that happens would involve patients going to a surgery and suggesting they have aches and pains in areas where the GPs will have to conduct intimate examinations.

"The patients may then start phoning the surgery regularly and then contacting the GP at home.

"There have been examples of GPs who turn down the advances of a patient to be then falsely accused of molestation themselves and end up in front of the General Medical Council. Those are situations which cause us great concern."

The survey by Doctor magazine claimed that male GPs with a good "bedside manner" were more at risk than women GPs.

According to the findings, patients asked for unnecessary examinations, touch and talked to their doctors inappropriately. They also wrote explicit letters and made phone calls.

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