A DOCTOR from Leeds was called to examine sex assault victims in Swindon because the town's specialist centre had closed, it has been revealed.

An orthopaedic locum registrar from Yorkshire was paid to carry out crucial evidence-gathering work last month.

The Swindon Sanctuary an NHS specialist sexual assault referral centre (Sarc) closed in March after GP examiners pulled out of the work.

It has since been moved from a shared site at Taw Hill Medical Practice to the new Gablecross Police Station, where private healthcare company, Veritas, will officially take over the vital service from next Monday.

But during the interim period over Easter, Veritas was left with no option but to pay for a doctor to travel about 200 miles from Yorkshire, in spite of the contracting of forensic services to private companies and the use of locums to carry out examinations being condemned by medical experts.

A study in this month's Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine said that using locums, who will not be in the area by the time the case comes to court, "undermines" complaints by sex attack victims and will not improve the low national rape conviction rates currently languishing at six per cent.

But Lynda Wearn, deputy director of public health of Swindon Primary Care Trust, said that the situation was a one-off.

At the unveiling of the New Swindon Sanctuary yesterday, Mrs Wearn said: "Veritas has appointed one doctor to be based here and there is another one on the way.

"Because Veritas does not officially take over until May 15, they agreed that they would find suitably qualified doctors from other places and this was a one off."

Julie Dowson, managing director of Veritas, said that the majority of doctors recruited by the company to do forensic examination had been in the UK fewer than five years.

They come from a variety of specialities but would receive training in forensic gynaecology and paediatrics.

Help group for male sufferers of abuse gets boost

A SUPPORT group which helps male victims of sex attacks has been given a £30,000 funding boost by the Home Office.

Survivors Swindon formed in 1991 helps victims come to terms with a traumatic past and applied for a grant after being inundated with calls last year.

The centre, which was founded by Steve Bevan, received 4,175 calls last year an increase of almost 40 per cent from the previous year. And Mr Bevan, a former victim of a paedophile, says the money will be used to help fund support for victims and their families.

He said: "We are pleased to have been awarded this grant which will provide increased support for male survivors in therapy sessions, and will allow us to set up support for partners and families of male survivors."

Swindon Survivors was one of 45 organisations in England and Wales to benefit from £1.25m of funding from the Home Office.

As reported by the Adver last year, the centre has seen some victims travel from the United States and Japan for help.

The group, which has its offices in Victoria Road in Old Town, previously only opened on a Wednesday.

But Mr Bevan now mans the lines most afternoons in response to huge demand, while the Survivors Swindon website, launched three years ago, has recorded nearly 40,000 hits.

The group also has three volunteers who man the phone lines and take bookings. Anyone wanting to contact Survivors Swindon, either for a chat or to book an appointment, should call 0870 9503567, call the helpline on 0845 430 9371 or visit www.survivorsswindon.com