A HAMPSHIRE health worker took the spirit of Christmas too far by turning up for work drunk.

Radiographer John Baker conducted X-rays on two patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester before he was found to be intoxicated, a professional hearing was told.

Mr Baker was sacked a week later. Now he has been suspended from practising for six months at a hearing of the Health Professions Council conduct and competence committee.

Members heard that on Christmas Day 2006, Mr Baker arrived at the A&E department early and carried out X-rays on two patients before he was due to start his shift.

A colleague smelled alcohol on his breath and he was immediately suspended and sent home.

The panel found that he was under the influence of alcohol when he took the Xrays.

Mr Baker admitted that he had consumed three pints of beer during lunch just before work. There was also evidence that he had consumed a lot of alcohol the day before.

Panel chairman Paul Archer said: "The panel has concluded that this historical misconduct has the consequence thatMr Baker's fitness to practice is still impaired.

"The reason for this finding is that although Mr Baker has asserted that he is no longer abusing alcohol, he has not addressed the issue of the very significant lack of insight he demonstrated on the day in question by turning up to work intoxicated."

Mr Baker did not attend the hearing.

The panel decided to suspend his registration for six months.

A spokeswoman for the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust said Mr Baker worked for the trust from February 2005 to January 3 2007, when he was sacked.

She said: "He came to the trust with 20 years NHS service. Up to December 25 2006 the trust had no issues with his performance or attendance.

"A colleague smelled alcohol on his breath, although his behaviour was not that of someone who was drunk. He was immediately suspended and subsequently dismissed on January 3 2007. He did not work for the trust after he was sent home.

The trust takes patient care extremely seriously and so the two X-rays Mr Baker had carried out were reviewed by the two other radiographers who were on duty at that time. The X-rays were of perfectly good quality and there is absolutely no evidence that patient care was compromised.