yesterday: "I'm the victim of professional jealousy.'' Dr. Herbert Hope-Gill said he was now seeking legal advice over alleged slurs against his reputation.

Controversy has raged since claims in Parliament that a doctor practising in Bermuda had been forced to surrender his licence in America over a gross negligence case.

Shadow Health Minister Renee Webb later said she made the allegations after receiving information from good sources.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann has since admitted the Bermuda Medical Council was reviewing the registration of a doctor.

And he understood the doctor had not been given permission to admit patients to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Yesterday, Dr. Hope-Gill spoke to The Royal Gazette , saying it was clear Ms Webb and Dr. Cann were referring to him -- although neither used his name. "I have phoned Ms Renee Webb and tried to set the record straight,'' he said.

Dr. Hope-Gill, who specialises in diabetes, claimed certain doctors in Bermuda were trying to blow up out of proportion a complaint made against him in America.

After examining the complaint, a board had made a provisional ruling that his care "had fallen below the standard'' acceptable.

"People here are now trying to blow this thing into a great crime against humanity. It wasn't at all.'' He added: "It is just professional jealousy. There was a nice article in The Royal Gazette about me, and it was clear I was going to be very successful.

"I've already attracted a lot of patients, and now all these lies are being said about me.'' Dr. Hope-Gill said the alleged gross negligence case related to a "vindictive'' complaint made against him by a woman while he was practising in South Florida.

He added the 23-year-old woman had come to see him in 1991 for various hormonal difficulties.

"She complained of coughing, and on one occasion flecks of blood came out, which is not uncommon with a respiratory tract infection.

"By her own admission under later testimony she accepted I ordered her to have a chest X-ray followed by other tests.

"By her own admission she admitted she refused to have the tests because they were too expensive, and she fabricated many other complaints which were never mentioned to me, such as shortness of breath.

"On one occasion we had an argument because she refused to have tests and also she wanted me to send out some bloods tests on her, although she refused to pay for them.'' Dr. Hope-Gill, who came to Bermuda this February, said the woman later needed hospital treatment for a blood clot in one of her lungs.

"There were no permanent effects, but she complained to the Department of Professional Regulation.'' It was quite common for the department to receive complaints, stressed Dr.

Hope-Gill.

"In fact, in Florida there are 10,000 complaints a year in a state with only 15,000 to 20,000 doctors. Of those 2,000 are upheld.'' Dr. Hope-Gill continued: "During the hearing they agreed with my care, with the exception of one of the doctors.

"This doctor said he could not believe that a doctor could not get tests done somewhere.

"On that basis it was found I had fallen below the standard of care. I received a reprimand, but at no time was there any threat to my licence. I was under no pressure to resign.'' Dr. Hope-Gill said he resigned his licence voluntarily after being told to sign a "legal complaint'' document admitting his guilt.

"I did not accept I was guilty. At that point I resigned my licence because I had been in the US 13 years and I had always planned to go to England.'' It was around this time Dr. Hope-Gill, who has a Canadian passport, found by chance he had Bermudian status.

"My father was born here, and Immigration then informed me that because he was born here when my grandfather was stationed in Bermuda as Surgeon-Commander with the British Navy, I had Bermudian status. I was very surprised,'' he said.

Dr. Hope-Gill said he had now withdrawn an application to receive privileges at Bermuda's hospital.

"I don't need to admit patients there, although I can apply later.'' Another problem is more immediately on his mind -- he fears he may have to leave the Island if his licence is withdrawn. "If that happens I will probably go to England.''