Rad tech loses credentials after he's caught drinking on the job

A radiographer in the United Kingdom has been stripped of his credentials after allegedly drinking on the job. 

Phillip F. Hopkins was a radiographer at a mobile scanning unit for Durham Diagnostics & Treatment Center in Durham, England, at the time of the February of 2022 incident. Reports indicate Hopkins purchased and drank a bottle of wine during one of his lunch breaks at the imaging center. 

He reportedly returned to work under the influence of alcohol, prompting suspicion from colleagues. After noticing his behavior had become erratic, Hopkins’ coworkers suggested  he go home for the day. Reports vary on what happened next, with some suggesting Hopkins smashed the bottle of wine as he left and others indicating he dropped the bottle, causing it to shatter. 

Days later, Hopkins admitted to management he had been drinking during his lunch break. He was suspended before eventually being terminated months later, once a full investigation had been conducted.  

The region’s governing body, the health and care professions tribunal service (HCPTS), recently conducted a hearing on Hopkins’ status as a healthcare professional, ultimately deciding he should no longer be able to work as a professional radiographer. The decision to strike him off the national register was made because Hopkins did not comply or engage with the regulatory processes put forth to ensure similar incidents would not occur again. 

“It was a serious breach of standards and undermined confidence in him and the profession. In the circumstances, in the absence of any evidence from [Hopkins], there remained a real risk of repetition of the misconduct,” a spokesperson for tribunal service told local media. “As such, the panel considered that [his] fitness to practice remained impaired on the personal component.”