Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determination — substantive hearing
Suspended from practice — 7 months
The regulator’s term: suspension
What does “suspended from practice” mean?
A suspension is a fixed-term pause on the right to practise. The practitioner cannot work in the regulated profession during the suspension. At the end of the period the suspension may be extended, replaced with another sanction, or lifted on review.
Concerning Rukmana Rabindran, doctor (General Medical Council 7727911).
Decision date: 10 November 2025 · Hearing started 14 April 2025 and ended 10 November 2025
This sanction period has elapsed.
In plain English
The MPTS tribunal found that Dr Rukmana Rabindran was convicted in July 2024 of drink driving and reckless driving on 23 May 2024, having driven at speeds of up to approximately 120 mph while over the alcohol limit. The tribunal determined that his fitness to practise was impaired by reason of conviction and imposed a 7-month suspension with a review hearing directed, noting his development of insight had not been timely but that his conduct was not fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.
Charges
On 17 July 2024 at Staines Magistrates Court, Dr Rabindran was convicted of: (1) drink driving on 23 May 2024 (breath alcohol 51 micrograms per 100ml, against a legal limit of 35), for which he was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £923; and (2) dangerous driving on 23 May 2024 (driving at speeds up to approximately 120 mph, tailgating and overtaking other vehicles on the A3 for 14 minutes), for which he received a 24-week suspended custodial sentence (suspended 18 months) and a 12-month driving disqualification. He is required to pass an extended driving test before his licence is returned.
Findings
The facts were established by certificate of conviction (all admitted). The tribunal found Dr Rabindran's fitness to practise impaired by reason of conviction. It noted his expression of remorse and that he had attended alcohol awareness and speeding courses, but found his development of insight had not been timely. The tribunal imposed a 7-month suspension with a review hearing directed, finding his conduct serious but not fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
- No previous regulatory history and recent testimonials indicating professionalism at work. - Dr Rabindran's youth at the time of his offences and lapse of time since his convictions. - Dr Rabindran referred himself to the GMC and attended relevant courses on alcohol awareness and speeding. - Driving at excessive speeds while over the limit for alcohol is capable of remediation. His attitude may have changed during proceedings. He has not been arrested for any other driving offences.
Aggravating factors
- Driving dangerously at very high speeds for several minutes was inherently serious, as the consequences were potentially fatal to other road users. Dr Rabindran was seen to tailgate other vehicles, driving extremely close to them, undertaking and overtaking them. - The fact that Dr Rabindran was over the legal limit for alcohol was another aggravating feature. - Any development of insight was expressed at a late stage in the proceedings rather than in a timely manner.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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