Carlos Gomes De Sanches Damas
Introduction
Carlos Gomes De Sanches Damas is a doctor who qualified in 2002 from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and who, before the events that led to these proceedings, worked as a consultant general surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital. He held registration number 7243661 with the General Medical Council. On 5 September 2025 a Medical Practitioners Tribunal reviewed his case, recorded its decision on impairment as impaired, and directed that his name be erased from the medical register — the outcome commonly described as being struck off.
The erasure concluded a case built on a single operation in September 2018. At a hearing in August 2023 a tribunal found that he had performed surgery on Patient A without valid consent and had then retrospectively amended the signed consent form so that it appeared the patient had agreed to keyhole surgery; that amendment was found to be dishonest. His registration was suspended for twelve months, and the September 2025 review tribunal went on to direct erasure.
Background Information
Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas qualified in 2002 from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. By 2018 he was working as a consultant general surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, a senior position in which he was responsible for the operative care of his patients and for obtaining their consent to surgery.
On 25 September 2018 he obtained a signed consent form from Patient A for a procedure by the ‘open’ approach only. He nonetheless commenced the procedure by the laparoscopic, or ‘keyhole’, approach, without obtaining further consent from his patient for keyhole surgery. He also amended the master copy of the consent form retrospectively, after the original version had been signed by Patient A, to indicate consent to a laparoscopic ‘keyhole’ approach.
His case was first considered by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal in August 2023. Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas did not participate in that hearing. The tribunal found the facts summarised above proved, and determined that the amendment of the consent form was dishonest, “as Dr Damas knew that Patient A had not consented to that approach”.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Adjudicated vs. alleged. The findings against Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas were made on the balance of probabilities by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal and are not criminal convictions; the dishonesty finding was the 2023 Tribunal’s own conclusion about his amendment of the consent form.
The 2023 Tribunal heard that on 25 September 2018 Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas obtained Patient A’s signed consent to undergo a procedure by the ‘open’ approach only, but commenced the operation by the laparoscopic ‘keyhole’ approach instead. The patient had never agreed to keyhole surgery, and no further consent was obtained before he changed his operative approach.
The more serious finding concerned the consent paperwork. After Patient A had signed the original version of the form, Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas amended the master copy retrospectively so that it indicated consent to a laparoscopic ‘keyhole’ approach. The 2023 Tribunal found that this amendment was dishonest, because he knew that Patient A had not consented to that approach.
The tribunal also considered his response to the events. While Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas had written to the Trust to apologise about what happened, it concluded “he had not accepted responsibility for undertaking surgery outside the scope of his patient’s consent”. It determined that a finding of impairment was necessary to maintain public confidence in doctors, and to uphold professional standards and conduct for members of the medical profession.
The 2023 Tribunal suspended Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas’ registration for a period of 12 months. It was satisfied that the suspension was necessary to mark the seriousness of his misconduct.
The case returned for a review hearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service that started on 5 September 2025. The review tribunal recorded the decision on impairment as impaired and directed erasure from the medical register.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The 2023 Tribunal’s conclusions set out why the matters were treated so seriously. It determined that a finding of impairment was necessary to maintain public confidence in doctors and to uphold professional standards and conduct for members of the medical profession, and it suspended his registration for twelve months because it was satisfied that this was necessary to mark the seriousness of his misconduct. The review tribunal in September 2025 likewise recorded that his fitness to practise remained impaired.
In mitigation the tribunal noted that Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas had written to the Trust to apologise about what happened. Against him, it found that he had not accepted responsibility for undertaking surgery outside the scope of his patient’s consent, and that his amendment of the consent form was dishonest because he knew Patient A had not consented to the keyhole approach. He had also not participated in the 2023 hearing itself.
Current Status
As a result of the decision dated 5 September 2025, the tribunal directed erasure from the medical register. Erasure means that a doctor’s name is removed from the GMC register, so that he may no longer practise as a registered doctor in the United Kingdom.
The decision explains when the erasure direction takes effect and sets out any appeal provisions; the official register should be checked for Dr Gomes De Sanches Damas’ current registration status.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The case ended a career that had reached consultant level: a general surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital in 2018 was, by the decision of 5 September 2025, erased from the medical register. Between those points his registration was first suspended for twelve months by the tribunal that sat in August 2023, and then brought to an end altogether by the September 2025 review tribunal.
Sources
- MedicWatch, “Carlos Gomes De Sanches Damas — Struck off the register,” added 5 May 2026. source