Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determination — review hearing
MPTS tribunal suspends Dr Josu Mendiguren for 12 months over alcohol conviction and misconduct
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service review has imposed a further 12-month suspension on GP Dr Josu Mendiguren, finding his fitness to practise still impaired. He did not attend and had shown no insight since his 2025 suspension for a drink-driving conviction and alcohol-related misconduct.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 26 May 2026 · Updated 8 July 2026
Suspension (suspended from practice) — 1 year
Added to MedicWatch: 8 July 2026Report a correction
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 Josu Mendiguren, doctor (General Medical Council 4286301).
Decision date: 26 May 2026 · Hearing started 26 May 2026
In plain English
The MPTS tribunal found that Dr Mendiguren's fitness to practise remains impaired by reason of misconduct and a criminal conviction. At this review hearing, held in his absence, he provided no evidence and had not engaged with the regulator or shown any insight or remediation. His registration had been suspended in 2025 in connection with a drink-driving conviction and attending work under the influence of alcohol. The tribunal assessed the risk to the public as high and imposed a further 12-month suspension, directing another review.
Charges
This was a review of a suspension imposed by the 2025 Tribunal. The published matters concern a conviction and misconduct (a further head of impairment was considered in private and is redacted from the public record). Dr Mendiguren had been convicted of driving a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit, contrary to section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. In respect of misconduct, the 2025 Tribunal found that he had attended work whilst under the influence of alcohol, conducted one telephone consultation whilst under the influence of alcohol, and failed to notify the GMC of his conviction without undue delay. The 2025 Tribunal found these matters serious and suspended his registration for six months, directing a review.
Findings
Dr Mendiguren did not attend this review hearing, was not represented, and provided no evidence. The hearing proceeded in his absence, the Tribunal being satisfied he had been properly notified. The Tribunal found that he had disengaged from the regulatory process and had provided none of the evidence of insight or remediation suggested by the 2025 Tribunal. It determined that his lack of engagement increased the risk of repetition, placing the current risk to public protection at a high level and the case at the higher end of the spectrum of seriousness. The Tribunal concluded that his fitness to practise remains impaired by reason of misconduct and his conviction, on all three parts of public protection. At the sanction stage it found conditions would be unworkable given his non-compliance and non-engagement, and considered but rejected erasure as disproportionate given the relatively short initial suspension. It imposed a further 12-month suspension to allow him to re-engage, develop insight and remediate, and directed a further review.
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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