A Lanarkshire doctor was found passed out at work by a nurse after drinking from a bottle of gin while on shift.
Dr Lewis Vickers, a consultant physician and cardiologist at University Hospital Wishaw, opted to take a break after completing his rounds at around 3pm on 17 April 2023, before beginning his scheduled on-call shift at 5pm.
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 Lewis Vickers was placed on conditions of practice for 12 months.
