A JUNIOR doctor, who is believed to have worked at the Great Western Hospital, has been suspended following an undisclosed allegation against him.

The General Medical Council has suspended ear, nose and throat doctor Emmanouil Marinakis for 18 months.

Action was taken during a meeting of the GMC's Interims Orders Committee sitting in private session in London.

No details of the allegation against Dr Marinakis, who was living on the site in Downsview House, Marlborough Road at the time, have been made public.

It is believed he was working at the GWH between February and June last year.

The suspension has been enforced to protect members of the public and the doctor while investigations continue or the case comes before the GMC's Fitness to Practice Panel in open session.

Dr Peter Crouch, of the Taw Hill Surgery, Swindon, said the action would put the suspended doctor's life on hold.

"Suspension used to be something that was incredibly rare but now it seems to be a threshold for protecting the public," said Dr Crouch, who has never heard of Dr Marinakis.