A suspended Scottish surgeon is to undergo supervised surgical retraining before being allowed back to work after an external inquiry found concerns about his clinical practice were justified.

Consultant surgeon Peeyush Sharma was suspended by Angus trust in August after concerns about his clinical competence. The external inquiry found that the care of three patients at Stracathro Hospital, Brechin, was compromised because Mr Sharma's work did not always reflect best practice.

The decision about his future coincides with new plans to streamline the suspension process for hospital medical and dental staff announced by Scottish health minister Sam Galbraith.

The plans list principles to help employers investigate allegations against practitioners, and practical steps for dealing with them.

In Mr Sharma's case, internal inquiries reviewed the case notes of 77 patients, three of whom had to have had further operations. Eight patients died. The trust said: 'It is not possible to say how many, if any, of these deaths or the additional surgical procedures required can be attributed to Mr Sharma's surgical management.'