Gerry McCann returned to work today and vowed that the search for his daughter will continue. The consultant cardiologist is to work three half-days a week and will have no contact with patients at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester until senior colleagues believe he can cope fully.
He arrived at the hospital wearing a black suit and made a short statement to waiting reporters outside the building - nearly six months since his daughter vanished.
The 39-year-old took unpaid leave from his £75,000-a-year job to help in the hunt for his daughter.
On Saturday it will be six months since she disappeared from their Algarve holiday apartment and he believes the time is right for him to work again.
Mr McCann said: "We've always said that at six months we didn't want to say, 'We could have done this or we could have done that'. But now we feel we have done everything we can to get the search for Madeleine fully under way and have got the infrastructure that's necessary for that. As a result it now allows me to concentrate on returning to work while the search for her continues."
Mr McCann said his work colleagues "have been absolutely fantastic in their support from day one".
Doug Skehan, clinical director of the hospital's cardio-respiratory directorate, said: "My colleagues at Leicester's hospitals look forward to welcoming him back as he returns to work after a lengthy and difficult period of absence."
"In short, we're glad to have a good doctor back." (Daily Mail)
