Doctor who treated 22 patients after drinking faces review

Dr Rachael Bartrum is due before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal on September 11 when a panel will review conditions imposed following findings of misconduct and a conviction.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) says Dr Bartrum's fitness to practise was previously found impaired and her registration remains subject to conditions until October 16.

The hearing is a review of the existing case and no fresh allegations have been published.

Dr Bartrum was working as a salaried GP at Central Lakes Medical Group when she consulted 22 patients after consuming alcohol in 2019.

A tribunal heard she had drunk wine in the morning before driving to work and consumed more during the day.

No consultation notes were recorded for six patients and another patient's notes were incomplete.

One patient said: "She was flippant and didn't make sense."

Dr Bartrum was subsequently convicted of drink-driving and fined £300 and banned from driving for 12 months at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court in December 2019.

She was caught drink-driving again in July 2021 while working at Duke Street Surgery in Barrow after taking her son to nursery.

Her registration as a doctor was suspended from October 2021.

At a tribunal in September 2023, a panel concluded Dr Bartrum's conduct had fallen 'far short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor' and that her repeated criminal behaviour had posed a risk to the public.

However, it decided a further period of suspension would not serve the public interest in relation to remediation or the development of insight.

Instead, conditions were imposed on her registration for three years.

They include requirements for a workplace reporter and clinical supervisor, approval before accepting posts and a restriction limiting her to group practices with at least two other permanently employed or partner GPs.

She must also obtain approval before carrying out locum, fixed-term, out-of-hours or on-call work.

The September tribunal will review her fitness to practise and decide what, if any, restrictions should remain.

The MPTS expects parts of the hearing to be held in private.