A DOCTOR charged with indecently assaulting a 17-year-old female patient could soon be practising again - under supervision.

Dr Tanuku Venkata Suryanarayana, a GP at Accrington's Eagle Street Surgery, was suspended by health bosses in March after being charged by Lancashire police.

He was originally arrested in February following the patient's allegation. The GP, of Bradley Court, Brockhall Village, has denied the offence and is due to stand trial at crown court. The General Medical Council, which regulates doctors, met in April to discuss the case and has now issued guidelines for Dr Suryanarayana.

These state that, except in life-threatening emergencies, he must undertake all consultations with female patients with another practitioner registered with either the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council or an adult member of the patient's family.

If the patient does not allow a chaperone to be present Dr Suryanarayana must not continue. His suspension has been reviewed every four weeks and the panel will meet again later this week.

Dr Stephen Morton, director of public health and health standards at Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust, said: "No decision has been made as yet as to whether he will return to the practice.

"The PCT is required when it excludes a doctor to review it regularly as we can exclude only for a limited period of time.

"The GMC preliminary hearing committee has reviewed his case and imposed conditions on his practice and he could go back to work under those conditions.

"In theory he could be back at work fairly soon, but we will decide next week whether to extend the exclusion."

He added that the Department of Health has regulations designed to stop doctors being off for long periods of time.