London, Aug 19 (IANS) An alcoholic doctor in Britain has been banned from practising medicine after she tried to dupe driving licensing authorities by using a patient's blood sample as her own.


Ellen MacInnes was asked to provide a blood sample to prove she was fit to get back behind the wheel, a disciplinary hearing heard.

She had been previously banned from driving three times, Daily Express reported.

The tests, required by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), were to assess those who want their licence reinstated after a drink-driving conviction.

MacInnes, of Chelmsford, Essex, abused her position of trust and lied to one of her patients by inventing an illness and claiming she needed to take a sample of their blood. She also forged the signature of a fellow ­doctor.

However, testers became suspicious when two samples arrived at their laboratory - one clean and one with "abnormalities".

The General Medical Council panel banned her from practising medicine for a year "for the protection of patients, the public interest and her own interest".