A DOCTOR was stopped by police for drink driving having just dropped her son off at nursery, a court heard.

Dr Rachael Bartrum landed herself in court after concerned staff at the nursery called police because they could smell alcohol on her, it was said.

Officers stopped the GP, who is employed by Duke Street Surgery in Barrow, in the car park of the South Lakeland nursery as she was about to drive away.

Bartrum, 40, pleaded guilty to drink driving when she appeared via videolink at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard Bartrum was seeking treatment for ‘long-standing’ issues with drink.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre told magistrates the doctor was stopped by police near Ulverston on June 16.

He said: “The defendant was due to take her son to nursery.

“They were expecting her at 11.45am.

“It raised concern with staff. She then arrived at 12.30pm.

“A member of staff became concerned because they could smell alcohol.”

The court heard staff then called the police, with officers arriving on the scene to find Bartrum sat in her car about to reverse out of the car park.

“Officers parked the police vehicle close to her vehicle to stop her driving off,” Mr Dacre said.

“When they approached the driver’s side the defendant was told to leave and her keys were taken by the officer.”

Mr Dacre said the seriousness of the offence was exacerbated by there being a child in her care.

The court was told she was found to have had 105 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - more than three times the legal limit of 35.

Bartrum was previously convicted of the same offence after she hit a dry stone wall in 2019 while driving between Ambleside and Hawkshead.

In mitigation, Andy Gallagher said Bartrum was taking part in residential treatment for her issues with alcohol.

He said: “The defendant is currently in a rehabilitation placement to address the long-standing issues that she has with alcohol.

“There are similar offences committed within a short space of time.”

Magistrates agreed a report on Bartrum should be compiled with the probation service before she could be sentenced.

They imposed an interim ban from driving on the doctor.

Bartrum, of Satterthwaite, is due to be sentenced on October 6.

Chair of the bench Charles Crewdson told her: “We’re going to stand this down for a pre-sentence report.

“From today we are imposing a interim disqualification.”

The GP was already due to face a medical tribunal over allegations she saw patients while under the influence of alcohol and the same day as her previous offence of drink driving.

Interim sanctions have been placed on her practice by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service ahead of a five-day misconduct hearing.

The doctor was not employed by Duke Street Surgery at the time of the incident. in question.