A MERSEYSIDE doctor inhaled laughing gas while on duty at a children’s A&E department, a tribunal heard.

Jonathan Chahal, 33, was working at Ormskirk hospital when he took Entonox on several occasions, telling colleagues it was “fun”, and made him feel “floaty”, the General Medical Council (GMC) hearing was told.

Manufacturers of the anaesthetic – usually given to pregnant women during child birth – say people should not drive or operate machinery for 12 hours after inhaling it.

It is alleged Dr Chahal behaved in an irresponsible and inappropriate way, but he denies his fitness to practise was impaired.

Counsel for the GMC, Craig Sephton, told yesterday’s hearing that, on June 28, 2007, nurses heard giggles coming from the resuscitation room of the A&E ward.

They found the paediatrician using the drug, and he then persuaded both of them to inhale, too.

One of the nurses, Siobhan Fitzgerald, had already witnessed the University of Liverpool medical graduate inhale once that day with a colleague, at around 2pm.

Mr Sephton said: “There was a blue canister behind the desk and it made a characteristic hissing sound.

“They were invited by Dr Chahal to sample the Entonox.

“Siobhan Fitzgerald was on duty that evening at 9.15pm and was talking to a colleague when they heard the sound of giggling from the resuscitation room.

“They went in and found the doctor taking Entonox again.

“They got into a discussion and he asked them if they had tried it before.

“He said it was fun and made him feel floaty.

“He invited them to do it, so they did.”

He is accused of offering the drug to other co-workers on four separate occasions, between June 28, 2007, and August 10, 2007, with four nurses taking up the offer and three declining.

In total, he admits inhaling the drug on four separate occasions, but denies a fifth allegation by nurse Lesley Winrow, who will give evidence today.