DISGRACED former York psychiatrist William Kerr is still on the medical register - more than two months after going on the sex offenders' register, the Evening Press can reveal today.

Dr Kerr, 75, of Alne, near Easingwold, has been neither suspended nor struck off, since being arrested in 1997, charged in 1998 with raping and indecently assaulting women patients, and found by a jury last December to have carried out one of the assaults.

He was found not guilty of two rapes and four indecent assaults, with the jury unable to reach a decision over ten remaining allegations of assault and two of rape.

The Evening Press has discovered that the General Medical Council's "interim orders" committee met on Thursday to discuss whether to take any action against Dr Kerr, such as suspension.

A document passed to the paper revealed that the committee agreed to adjourn until the outcome of an impending application for voluntary erasure was known next month.

It said the committee took into account that Dr Kerr had not practised since 1988, and evidence about his health. "The committee... is therefore satisfied that there is no prospect of Dr Kerr's returning to practice in the interim."

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis said today it was "absolutely appalling" that Dr Kerr remained on the register.

He said doctors should be automatically suspended after being charged with such offences and automatically struck off after a jury had found against them, with a right of appeal.

Rosetta Nicholson, one of the North Yorkshire patients who accused Dr Kerr of indecent assault, but whose case could not be determined by the jury, waived her right to anonymity today to criticise GMC procedures.

She said: "It should be automatic for any doctor who is the subject of criminal investigation to be suspended by the GMC."

But Dr Kerr's solicitor, Richard Manning, said allegations were made against many doctors which subsequently turned out to be unsubstantiated. A GMC spokeswoman was unable to comment about Dr Kerr, but said it acted according to statutory procedures laid down by law.

She said that in cases where a doctor was still working, the employer could suspend if he was charged with offences.

Updated: 10:59 Saturday, March 03, 2001