A doctor was repeatedly warned about his behaviour towards women after making a number of unwanted advances towards female patients, the General Medical Council heard yesterday.

A doctor was repeatedly warned about his behaviour towards women after making a number of unwanted advances towards female patients, the General Medical Council heard yesterday.

Odenefe John Isiavwe, who worked at the James Paget University Hospital (JPH), in Gorleston, and at a surgery in Kessingland, near Lowestoft, had a string of complaints made against him by colleagues and patients while working on short-term placements between 2001 and 2004.

Sarah Plaschkes, for the GMC, told the panel there had been concerns over Dr Isiavwe's behaviour ever since he was granted medical registration in August 2001 after coming to the UK from Nigeria.

She said: "At every placement he had undertaken from 2001 to 2004 there had been concerns."

Ms Plaschkes told the panel that Dr Isiavwe had met Miss B when he was working as a GP registrar at the Field Lane Surgery, Kessingland, in September 2002. Miss B, 38, had consulted him after suffering abdominal pains and vaginal discharge and on home visits it is alleged he tried to kiss her and grab her breast.

The panel heard the incident was one of several concerning incidents involving female patients which were brought to the attention of senior partners at the surgery, who closely supervised him before he moved to the orthopaedic department at the JPH.

Dr Isiavwe denies that his behaviour was inappropriate, an abuse of his professional position and liable to bring the medical profession into disrepute.

The panel heard that in the first two months of his placement at the JPH, Dr Isiavwe, of Hopton, near Yarmouth, was dismissive of one patient's problems and refused to see another after being contacted by GP Penny Qulliam. He denied acting inappropriately and unprofessionally.

The hearing was told that from August 2003, Dr Isiavwe became a senior house officer at the JPH and threatened a colleague who was forced to cover his ward when he failed to turn up, and on another occasion he allegedly ran his hands up and down a nurse's body.

He was dismissed in January 2004 and the GMC hearing will continue today.