Anxiety-ridden junior doctor drove car wrong way round a roundabout and threw himself at police car, tribunal hears

A junior doctor who was arrested and handcuffed by police after he had a panic-fuelled meltdown over fears he would be late for work was battling to save his career in medicine on Thursday.

Dr Andrew Sadler, 24, had been due to turn in for a shift at a hospital but kept waking up and tossing and turning in bed in the belief he would not make it in on time.

Eventually Sadler got up at 1am and was thought to be on his way to work early in a sleep deprived haze when he drove his Vauxhall Astra around the roundabout the wrong way in the dark with no lights on then overtook a car at 70mph narrowly missing a pedestrian island.

When traffic officers were alerted to his driving near an Asda supermarket in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Sadler stopped his car at the side of the road, sprinted barefoot towards their patrol vehicle and threw himself 'starfish' fashion on the bonnet.

Police had to handcuff the junior medic and commented on him being incoherent and confused. Sadler was later tested for drugs and alcohol but none were found in his system.

In May last year the doctor, who lives in Gateshead was convicted of dangerous driving and criminal damage to the police vehicle and was sentenced to eight months jail suspended for six months.

He was also banned from driving for 20 months.

But he referred himself to the General Medical Council for a disciplinary hearing which could see him being struck off the doctor's register.

He has been working in palliative care at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton-on-Tees. The incident occurred on Oct 4 2018 just weeks after Sadler, from Gateshead had completed his medical degree at Edinburgh University.

Doctor feared he would be late for shift

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service was told he had got a post at a hospital but was in a panic as he feared being late for duty.

GMC lawyer Sarah Barlow told the Manchester hearing: "He got into his car in the early hours and he had been driving in an erratic fashion. Members of the public had called 999 - but he had also done the same, saying he required assistance."

After witnesses saw him drive the wrong way around the roundabout they contacted police, who followed at a safe distance.

The tribunal heard that Sadler reached speeds of 70mph and he overtook a car on the wrong side of the road narrowly missing a pedestrian island.

He then braked in front of the vehicle he had overtaken and moved slowly in front of it. He pulled up to the opposite side of the carriageway and was stopped when the police arrived.

GMC lawyer Barlow added: "The two police officers describe how they saw the car with the hazard lights on and the doctor barefoot in the middle of the road. He was sprinting towards the police car and leapt onto the bonnet of the car in a starfish, attempting to hold the door shut so the police couldn't get out.

"The officers did get out and they handcuffed the doctor and dragged him off the car. All present described him as incoherent and confused. He himself mentioned he was under the influence of drugs and police took the view he was under the influence of drink or drugs or was having a psychotic episode as a result of his presentation.

"He was taken by the police to hospital but a blood sample was taken which was negative for alcohol and drugs. The doctor was subsequently interviewed when he was fit to be interviewed, he made full admissions and expressed at the time he was under great deal of stress.

"He gave some detail of the background that led up to this incident and he was profoundly grateful to all present. he eye witness himself called the police he recalls the doctor was on the telephone to the ambulance service, the doctor himself says he called 999 to call the police. This was a serious matter it was a case that warranted a sentence of imprisonment albeit suspended."

She added: "The offence itself does cause danger to the public and it carried with it the possibility that members of the public were put at significant risk. He drove significant distance from his residence to where he was apprehended. I appreciate the public might have sympathy but that has to be balanced against the courts view that this offence passed the custody threshold.

"Whilst there is background there is no doubt he made a choice to get into that vehicle."

Doctors with a criminal record 'rightly raises questions'

Sadler told the hearing: "I feel great personal shame at having a criminal conviction - it is not something I ever expected. I have looked back and tried to dissect what had happened and in doing so I feel I have identified the events and I understand those I feel deep remorse for what happened.

"The public rely on doctors working in the best interest of patients and I feel a doctor working with a criminal conviction, rightly raises questions.

"The fact this has all happened has made me realise that things can and will go wrong and people can make mistakes, but the most important thing is how you react and cope with those mistakes.

"I feel like in my case I told all the most relevant people at the time and I did everything asked of me. I work at North Tees and I work in palliative care. I'm seeing patients every day who have long-term illnesses and I have a very supportive network there.

"When other people find something emotionally troubling, I find having a good team to work with that understand what is going on is beneficial. I hope to go into anaesthetics, but I want to find my feet completely before I go into training again.

"It isn't entirely clear what my thought processes were at the time thus happened, but I had been trying to fall asleep and kept jolting awake and I kept wondering whether I thought I was sleeping in and being late for work. In the acutely anxious state, I was in I wasn't thinking entirely rationally. I think if a member of the public were to hear the whole facts I believe they would have a degree of empathy

"I would hope that they would sympathise with the situation, however I understand the severity of what happened. I got into the car around 1am having tried to go to bed before midnight. I had been tossing and turning in bed and not really getting to sleep.

"I was talking a lot of rubbish to be honest but I was panicking and I didn't know what I was saying. I was very worried about myself looking back I was trying to think of a reason why I was panicking. But I now feel I have seen the positive effects of trainees recognising that it can be stressful for them as well as the supervising staff who I find very helpful and very friendly, I feel I can always speak to them if I need to."

His lawyer Catherine Stock said: "This was a single, one-off incident dating back some time. It was out of character incident and took place which as the doctor relayed over a set of overwhelming circumstances which are unlikely to be repeated.

"He was in a panic and kept waking up as he thought he was going to be late for work. He wasn't thinking straight, wasn't acting as he normally would and had some sort of breakdown. He has carried on his career despite the stresses and strains of being a junior doctor and he is now coping well.

"He has changed his life around and he has worked with colleagues to get support. This is a young man, a dedicated young doctor with a lot to give."

The hearing continues.