Senior Lanarkshire doctor found passed out after drinking gin while on shift

University Hospital Wishaw.
-Credit:Stuart Vance.


A 'stressed' out Lanarkshire doctor was found passed out by a nurse after drinking from a bottle of gin while on shift.

Dr Lewis Vickers, who works as a consultant physician and cardiologist at the University Hospital Wishaw, had decided to take a break after finishing his rounds at around 3pm on April 17, 2023, before his scheduled on-call shift started at around 5pm the same day.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), who regulate doctors, heard that Dr Vickers had found an unopened bottle of gin gifted to him by a patient and decided to 'have a small drink' after feeling 'very stressed, tired and apprehensive about having to undertake further work'.

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The medic, who had filled a water bottle with a mix of lemonade and gin, was found lying behind the door of his office at around 6.30pm after failing to turn up for his on-call shift. The nurse called for assistance and reported the doctor could not stand, seemed unsteady, and his movements were slow, and he would only able to make 'indecipherable' sounds in response to questions.

A call was placed for an ED Crash Team, and blood tests later revealed his blood alcohol was 360 mgs/100 mls - almost eight times over the legal driving limit.

Dr Vickers told the MPTS he is 'utterly ashamed of his conduct' and ‘beyond embarrassed and humiliated’. He added: "‘I think about [it] every hour of every day sometimes longer than others, it’s even featured in several dreams’.

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The MPTS heard how the senior doctor has since cut his workload to manage stress better, and better recruitment of staff has meant less strain on him. They say they recognised the risks he placed patients in and had undertaken work to remediate and mitigate further incidents.

The report goes on to state that another matter, detailed only as XXX was to be considered at a private hearing.

Concluding the case, the MPTS wrote: "Dr Vickers consumed a high level of alcohol at work before starting his evening shift as the on-call general medicine consultant in the Medical Ambulatory Care Unit. He was found collapsed on the floor of his office, behind the door. He was unsteady, could not stand up and he was very dazed. He was incoherent in response to questions.

"Most clinicians and members of the public would condemn his actions. Due to the amount of alcohol consumed, Dr Vickers was unable to attend his evening on-call duty shift as the lead consultant on call. He failed to attend his shift due to (alcohol) intoxication.

"His actions had potential to put patients at risk of harm or neglect, as well as to impact on colleagues. People may have been deprived of necessary or urgent treatment as Dr Vickers was unable to attend his on-call shift and diverted colleagues’ attention from their clinical duties. His actions breached GMP and fundamental tenets of the medical profession.

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"The Tribunal accepted Dr Vickers’ evidence and was encouraged by the steps he has taken to address. It considered his misconduct (XXX) to be remediable and recognised that Dr Vickers had made great efforts to understand his behaviour and to remediate it.

"The Tribunal considered that the risk of Dr Vickers repeating his misconduct is low, as it was an isolated incident in the context which he is now addressing. Dr Vickers apologised on more than one occasion for his actions, both prior to and during these proceedings, indicating deep remorse. The Tribunal took account of testimonials to Dr Vickers’ professional and caring work as a doctor; each author spoke very highly of him.

"In the context of Dr Vickers’ XXX in April 2023, the Tribunal concluded that Dr Vickers’ current fitness to practise is not impaired by reason of misconduct. XXX. But for XXX, the

"Tribunal considered it unlikely that he would have acted as he did on 17 April 2023. His actions stemmed directly from XXX at the time, as opposed to a wilful disregard of GMP or intention to disregard his responsibility to patients or Hospital commitments."

Dr Lewis Vickers was placed on conditions of practice for 12 months.

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