THE jury in the trial of a doctor alleged to have carried out sex attacks on patients at his Dudley surgery look set to retire to consider the evidence today (Wednesday).

Jaswant Rathore has denied 18 charges of sexual assault on eight women when they visited the Castle Meadows surgery for treatment to hip and back problems.

The prosecution have claimed 60-year-old Rathore touched them inappropriately while giving them manipulative therapy to fuel his "illicit sexual needs."

Heidi Kubik, prosecuting, has told the jury he carried out the attacks under the cover of diagnosis or treatment for the medical problems and clearly derived some sexual pleasure.

But the doctor who was previously a clinical lead on Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has maintained everything he did was part of their treatment in his bid to give them the best possible care.

The "trusted" doctor of Ploughmans Walk, Wall Heath, claim the prosecution, did not have the necessary expertise or training to massage patients.

But Rathore told the panel everything he did at his surgery was part of his professional duties and he has firmly denied any sexual assaults had taken place.

The eight alleged victims, in evidence to Wolverhampton Crown Court, have described how the doctor's actions left them shocked and embarrassed with one married woman saying: "Before what happened I thought he was a very good doctor with a good reputation in the area."

The offences are alleged to have been committed between November 2008 and March 2015 and the three man-nine woman will retire to discuss their verdicts after Judge Michael Challinor has summed up the case which is continuing.