'Predatory' doctor was 'given benefit of doubt at every stage of his career' (2025)

Dr Daman Sharma has been struck off after a string of sexual harassment complaints

A 'predatory' doctor who groomed and sexually harassed patients and workmates for more than a decade was 'given the benefit of the doubt at every stage of his career', a tribunal heard.

Dr Daman Sharma has been struck off after 34 allegations containing a total of 117 claims of inappropriate behaviour, 'unwanted touching', sexual harassment and dishonesty were found proven against him.

The allegations were made by three nurses, two other colleagues, and two 'vulnerable' patients under the age of 18.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel (MPTS) heard Dr Sharma was twice arrested in connection with the incidents, but never convicted.

MPTS hearings apply the civil standard of proof. This means the panel must decide whether, on the balance of probabilities, the allegations are proven.

He also faced a number of internal disciplinary proceedings, including on one occasion when he was forced to resign and another when he was suspended, the tribunal heard.

But, as the tribunal was told, despite that he continued working in the NHS and allegedly continued to sexually harass young women and girls he came into contact with. The sexual misconduct complaints spanned a period from October 2009 to October 2021.

They included allegations he left a vulnerable young patient in tears after touching her thigh and questioning her about her sex life, that he groped another young patient's breast and crotch during an examination and 'trapped' a nurse against a cupboard and licked her face.

The incidents allegedly took place at a GP surgery in Oldham and three hospitals in Merseyside, including the renowned Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

St Mary’s Medical Practice, the General Medical Council, and Wirral University Teaching Hospital all said 'immediate and appropriate action' was taken as soon as allegations were made, and that allegations related to staff conduct are taken 'extremely seriously'.

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust said they had 'not been directly involved in any regulatory process or investigations' involving Dr Sharma and were therefore unable to provide any further comment.

Sharon Beattie KC, representing the General Medical Council, told the MPTS hearing Dr Sharma had demonstrated a 'pattern of predatory behaviour spanning a decade, indicating a deep-seated and significant attitudinal and behavioural problem'.

But, Ms Beattie said, at 'every stage throughout his professional career', he had been given 'the benefit of the doubt' and had been 'assisted and supported by various employers'.

She added: "Despite this, and his repeated assurances that he recognised the inappropriateness of his conduct and that it would not reoccur, it did."

The panel heard Dr Sharma 'did not accept that he ever acted in a way that was sexually motivated, or predatory'.

In a statement he told the tribunal: "I accept that a great deal of what has been complained about, what I said, was not appropriate and similarly with my actions.

"I will ensure that I do not make the same mistakes again. I am sorry for my inappropriate comments and actions and accept that I bear sole responsibility for these. I apologise that my comments and actions have called the profession into disrepute and will have undermined the public's confidence in the profession."

When approached at his home in the Wirral this week, Dr Sharma told a reporter he ‘could not say anything at all’ regarding his case but accepted he had been struck off as a doctor.

In January 2016, while working at St Mary's Medical Centre in Oldham, Dr Sharma, who was described as a 'mature married man', touched an underage patient's thigh, hugged her, brushed his cheeks against hers and put his arm around her, the tribunal heard.

The panel also heard he asked her how many people she'd had sex with, whether she'd had sex in a bus stop and asked for her phone number during the 50 minute consultation.

The incident happened a week after conditions placed on Dr Sharma due to a previous disciplinary investigation had ended. The girl, who the tribunal heard came from a 'difficult social background', was reduced to tears by the incident and was said to be 'hysterical' when she called her mum to pick her up.

She later said she felt 'scared and embarrassed' and had difficulty sleeping.

The tribunal found her 'dignity had been violated' during the 'intimidating, degrading and humiliating' incident and that the 'repeated and unwanted' touching was for Dr Sharma's 'sexual gratification'.

On 28 January 2016, Dr Sharma, who was born and raised in India and gained his medical diploma at Odessa State Medical University in Odessa, Ukraine in 2002, before moving to the UK in 2004, was arrested by the police and interviewed under caution concerning her complaint, the tribunal heard.

He was released on police bail under the condition he was not to practise medicine. The case later went to trial at Manchester Crown Court before Dr Sharma was acquitted in February 2018.

In May 2014, during an examination at Alder Hey, Dr Sharma allegedly lifted up an underage girl's top and 'grabbed one of her breasts', the tribunal heard. The MPTS hearing was told he then 'slid' his hand under her leggings and 'very sneakily... grabbed her vagina' while saying 'we're going to have to get you some sausages to eat'.

The girl was being treated for an eating disorder and had been referred to mental health services because she was self-harming.

According to the MPTS documents, he was interviewed by police in connection with the incident, but was not charged with any offence and there were no criminal proceedings.

While working at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, he 'persistently and repeatedly' asked a younger female nurse about her relationship status, whether she was sexually active and when she last had sex, the tribunal was told.

In another incident the panel described as 'particularly concerning' he allegedly wrapped a tourniquet around her wrist, pulled her to one side in a hospital corridor and told her to 'stop winding me up and tell me when you last had sex'.

The tribunal was also told of another incident at Arrowe Park in July 2010 when Dr Sharma 'trapped' another nurse against a cupboard then licked her left cheek from her eye to her mouth.

And in yet another incident some time in late 2020 or early 2021 he asked a 'Year 1 doctor' at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool if she was pregnant, if she was having unprotected sex and when she had last had her period, the panel heard.

When she replied that she wasn't pregnant, he allegedly told her her boyfriend 'wasn't doing it right'.

In September 2021 Dr Sharma, the tribunal heard, obtained a colleague's phone number 'without her consent', he then began messaging her 'continuously' on WhatsApp.

Later that month he then allegedly asked her for a kiss, asked if he could feel her breast or nipple and told her he 'felt like a bl*wj*b'.

One victim of the harassment told the hearing: "I didn't want this to continue, because it made me feel horrendous. I was frightened to go to work…I just felt so anxious…because he was so respected by everyone, I thought, 'Am I blowing this out of proportion?'

"I just wanted the situation to stop. I just felt so like it was like I was a little kid. Like I couldn't protect myself. I felt very, very vulnerable in that situation."

The panel heard that in 2011 Dr Sharma had been the subject of disciplinary proceedings following complaints about 'inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature' against him while working at Arrowe Park.

An investigation was carried out but no formal disciplinary hearing was held after Dr Sharma was offered a 'compromise deal' requiring him to hand in his notice after he completed his training.

He was also suspended from the National Performers List - a nationwide list of approved GPs and dentists - from May 2014 to December 2014, the panel heard. When restored, NHS England advised Dr Sharma should be subject to conditions, including that he must shadow a working GP.

And, as the tribunal was told, in March 2021 following an investigation into his behaviour at Aintree Hospital, which found he had 'caused distress to and made a female staff member uncomfortable' Dr Sharma signed a 'behavioural impact and action statement'.

In it he agreed to not 'enter into conversations with any staff members about their private life including sensitive issues such as, but not only, sexual lifestyle or reproductive health' and 'avoid personal comments or other actions which could result in a member of staff feeling uncomfortable in the workplace'.

The tribunal found that a 'particularly concerning' aspect of Dr Sharma's misconduct was his 'repeated attempts to get complainants alone'. He persisted in making inappropriate comments and touching women without their consent 'despite being told repeatedly to stop'.

The Tribunal noted that in his reflective statement. Dr Sharma still appears to blame others saying: “…During conversations it was difficult for me to say no, or give limited answers, and this led to a tendency to start discussing further things that were not relevant.

“I also asked colleagues personal questions like about dating life, and life at home, relationships with parents, and this crossed a boundary.

“Sometimes, despite not knowing them well, or in some cases when I had only met them for the first time, I asked nurses questions which created a misleading impression.”

In the statement he also added: “...differences in cultural norms can play a part in misunderstandings and miscommunication.

“In India it is very common for people to ask personal questions such as who you live with, where you are moving to, who with etc.

“Also, I think the same culture was in Ukraine, people want to know about each other, and, in the Ukraine, I may have developed a habit of talking with people who I don’t know that much about.”

His statement also said: “I can see from the complaints that what I say can be interpreted in a way that was not intended.

“I think that sometimes as English is not my first language when I am trying to put the patient at ease by saying something in a more light-hearted way this can come across as ill-judged and sometimes inappropriate, which is not my intention.”

The panel concluded that Dr Sharma's behaviour 'constituted grooming and was predatory'. He was found to have brought the profession into serious disrepute and struck off.

A spokesperson for St Mary’s Medical Practice said: "As soon as we became aware of Dr Sharma’s arrest, we took immediate and appropriate action in line with our policies. Following Dr Sharma’s arrest, he was excluded from work and did not return to the practice.”

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust said: "These are historical events relating to a locum working in a temporary capacity at the Trust back in 2014. The Trust has not been directly involved in any regulatory process or investigations involving this individual, including this Medical practitioners tribunal, and we are therefore unable to provide any further comment on this matter."

A spokesperson for the General Medical Council said: "Dr Sharma has been restricted from practising – either with conditions or an interim suspension since 29 February 2016, until the point at which he was erased from the medical register by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal on 10 March 2025.

"As soon as we received evidence that Dr Sharma posed a threat to patients or the public we sought to restrict him from practising, while we carried out an investigation. We referred Dr Sharma to an Interim Orders Tribunal (IOT) at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), where restrictions were imposed on his registration."

A spokesperson for Wirral University Teaching Hospital said: "Wirral University Teaching Hospital takes all concerns about staff conduct extremely seriously. The issues raised in 2011 were fully investigated in line with the Trust’s procedures, with formal disciplinary action taken. This included appropriate engagement with the General Medical Council.

"The safety of our patients and staff is our highest priority, and we continue to work closely with our partners to ensure appropriate action is taken whenever concerns are raised."

Dr Peter Turkington, executive managing director of Aintree University Hospital, said: "Everyone has a right to feel safe at work and we work hard to create an environment where colleagues feel able and supported to raise concerns. As soon as we became aware of issues relating to Dr Sharma's interactions with colleagues, we took action in line with our policies, which ultimately led to his exclusion in October 2021 and the GMC was kept informed throughout this process."