Doctor free to practise despite drink drive ban

Dr Das pleaded guilty to drink driving at Ipswich Magistrates' Court earlier this year

A hospital doctor who was found to be almost three times the legal drink drive limit has been allowed to continue to practise despite a driving ban.

Dr Nabarun Das admitted driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol after being caught behind the wheel of a black BMW on 27 January.

When stopped by the police, a test revealed the 43-year-old, of St Aubyns Road, Ipswich, had 98 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Dr Das, who worked in emergency medicine at Ipswich Hospital, was disqualified from driving for two years and one month and given a warning by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Dr Nabarun Das was employed the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital

Dr Das was convicted of the offence on 5 March at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

As well as being banned from driving, he was ordered to pay £2,096 in costs and fines.

A spokesman for the GMC said: "This behaviour does not meet with the standards required of a doctor.

"It risks bringing the profession into disrepute and it must not be repeated.

"You must make sure your conduct justifies patients' trust in you and the public's trust in the profession.

"Whilst this failing in itself is not so serious as to require any restriction on his registration, it is necessary in response to issue this formal warning."

The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust was approached for comment but declined to comment.