Sacked doctor who stole tablets and went drink driving gets string of conditions

Dr Paul Desmond Dunne, then a consultant cardiologist, was sacked by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust in August 2022 after “misappropriating” tablets for his own personal use.  

In September that same year, he was convicted of drink driving and handed a community order, with a fine of £120 and a driving ban for 26 months, later reduced by 26 weeks.

A report by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service said: “In terms of misconduct, Dr Dunne admitted that he had failed to notify the GMC without delay that he had been charged with the above criminal offence.

“In relation to his employment, Dr Dunne admitted that he had misappropriated one or more tablets of XXX for his personal use.

Dr Paul Dunne was sacked by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust back in 2022 (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

“Further, Dr Dunne approached Nurse A and enquired as to whether any XXX was available, said it was for patient use, and misappropriated one or more tablets for his personal use within a tub that he removed from the medicine cabinet and stored in a non-controlled drug cabinet until the following day.

“Dr Dunne admitted that the information he provided to Nurse A was untrue, he knew it to be untrue, and that his conduct was dishonest.”

The report said that Dunne’s community order ended on September 29, 2023 with the requirements having been completed.

A tribunal back in May 2024 heard that Dunne was by then retraining as a GP and ruled that he had to abide by a series of conditions for 18 months.

These included the General Medical Council what he is working as, where he is working and restricting his ability to administer medication.

A further hearing was held in private at the end of November 2025 to review Dunne’s case.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service’s report on the hearing said that Dunne hoped to start a “substantive role” as a GP after finishing his training in February 2028.

The report said that Dunne “stated that he will continue to be open and honest about the past and own the decision he made for better or worse”.

Jonathan Lally, for the GMC, said the organisation believes Dunne “falls within the low level of risk and that a further period of conditions for 12 months would be appropriate”.

Phillip Scott, for Dunne, said that his client and the GMC agreed about “the appropriate way forward”.

Mr Scott said there had been various positive workplace reports from Dunne’s GP training scheme.

The report said that Dunne had responded well to the 2024 tribunal’s findings since then and had progressed positively.

The tribunal decided to impose conditions on Dunne’s registration for an extra year to “ensure he has the appropriate support around him to continue the positive progress made so far”.

The report said: “The tribunal was of the view that a period of 12 months of conditions would afford Dr Dunne sufficient opportunity to demonstrate that he is no longer impaired and safe to return to unrestricted practice.”

The conditions include Dunne keeping the GMC notified of his job title, location and his responsible officer.

He must also only prescribe, administer, and have primary responsibility for drugs under arrangements agreed by his GMC adviser and approved by his responsible officer.

Dunne also must not prescribe any drugs for himself, or anyone with whom he has a close personal relationship.

The report said that a review hearing will be held shortly before the end of the period of conditional registration.

Source – INDIA TV