Former Chesterfield Royal Infirmary doctor loses licence after slapping woman and drink driving
He's lost his right to practice medicine after a tribunal
A “wanted” Derbyshire doctor can no longer practise medicine in the UK after drinking most of a bottle of wine while on shift in a hospital A&E, slapping a woman and driving while drunk.
Dr Deepu Alkere Nanjundaswamy, who worked at Chesterfield Royal Hospital at the time of all three incidents, has been “erased” from the medical register following a Medical Practitioner’s Tribunal Service hearing.
A document detailing the decision, which was heard in private, says Alkere Nanjundaswamy was stopped by an off-duty detective stumbling into his car in Eastwood Park Drive, in Holmewood, Chesterfield, on April 23, 2023.
The report shows Alkere Nanjundaswamy subsequently tested for alcohol levels more than three times the legal limit.
At Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court on April 27, 2023, Alkere Nanjundaswamy pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol in excess of the legal limit, and was fined £2,200, disqualified from driving for four months and had his driving licence endorsed.
Alkere Nanjundaswamy, who qualified to be a doctor in India, did not inform the General Medical Council or his employer, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, about his criminal charge or conviction.
Meanwhile, the report shows that on August 23, 2023, four months later, Alkere Nanjundaswamy was caught by colleagues smelling of alcohol and acting intoxicated while working in the hospital’s emergency department, including falling over a drip stand and forgetting about a patient who needed a CT scan.
Alkere Nanjundaswamy had denied drinking alcohol while on shift but admitted doing so in texts and during an interview with the NHS trust, saying he drank “about half to three quarters of a bottle”, following bad news from a relative in India.
He said he was “shocked and devastated” by the call and went to a friend’s care to “have a break” and “found a bottle of wine in there which I drank”.
Alkere Nanjundaswamy was allowed to continue to practice medicine following both incidents but had interim restrictions added to his medical licence for 12 months following a hearing in February 2024.
A further incident detailed by the tribunal hearing shows Alkere Nanjundaswamy had allegedly assaulted a woman at Chesterfield Railway Station on January 28, 2025, when he reportedly slapped her in the face.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital dismissed Alkere Nanjundaswamy on June 26, 2025.
He was charged with assault on July 9 and was due to appear in Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on August 4, 2025, but left the UK the week before the hearing.
British Transport Police statements submitted with the hearing show that the former Chesterfield doctor appeared intoxicated, with CCTV footage showing him stumbling around the platforms and people being concerned about his safety, almost falling onto the tracks.
Records show Alkere Nanjundaswamy admitted to police had been drinking the night before and then had drunk a small bottle of Prosecco at the railway station.
A police interview to discuss the incident had to be delayed “such was his level of intoxication”, the tribunal heard.
The police have said Alkere Nanjundaswamy’s case will not be heard in his absence and that a wanted marker is currently placed on him, meaning he will be arrested on arrival should he return to the UK.
Alkere Nanjundaswamy informed the tribunal service last August, shortly after his intended court hearing, that he had “permanently relocated outside the UK”.
The GMC argued that “failed to acknowledge the risk posed by him attempting to drive” and that the lack of notice to the GMC “undermined a system put in place to protect the public and an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for his actions”.
Meanwhile, it argued that working while under the influence “showed a reckless disregard for patient safety and professional standards”.
It said the railway station violent assault, while “limited in nature” and outside his professional role, was “to the very top end of seriousness”.
The GMC said Alkere Nanjundaswamy “effectively fleeing criminal proceedings” further “undermined a system put in place to protect the public”.
A statement provided by Alkere Nanjundaswamy to the tribunal details he had gone through a “difficult and stressful period of time in his life in 2023”, with the panel satisfied he had shown some “limited” signs of insight and remediation, and that his fitness to practise medicine was “impaired”.
The tribunal heard that Alkere Nanjundaswamy had “disengaged” from the hearing process, writing: “There is no reliable evidence of current insight or remediation to suggest that this behaviour has been addressed.
“Assessing the position as at today, the Tribunal has no reliable basis upon which to conclude that risk arising from the behaviour underlying the conviction has been reduced. In the absence of current engagement, insight or evidence of change the Tribunal concludes that by reason of the conviction, Dr Alkere Nanjundaswamy poses a current and ongoing risk to public protection.
“The Tribunal is satisfied that Dr Alkere Nanjundaswamy’s behaviour represents a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered medical practitioner.”
It found that his actions amount to “serious professional misconduct”.
The report details: “The Tribunal determined that the seriousness of the facts found proved is such that allowing Dr Alkere Nanjundaswamy to remain on the register would present a high risk to public protection and would seriously undermine patient safety, public confidence in the profession and the maintenance of proper professional standards.”
Kevin Sargen, Chesterfield Royal’s medical director, said: “We are aware of the outcome of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing relating to Dr Deepu Alkere Nanjundaswamy and note the decision made by the independent tribunal.
“The matters considered by the tribunal were taken extremely seriously by the trust and appropriate action was taken at the time in line with our duties as an employer and healthcare provider.
“We have worked closely with the relevant regulatory and external organisations throughout this process and fully supported their investigations.
“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of patient care, professional conduct and patient safety across all our services.”