Disgraced surgeon's patients demand public inquiry

Sam Eljamel was the head of the neurosurgery department in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee

Patients of disgraced surgeon Sam Eljamel have met at the Scottish Parliament to demand a public inquiry.

They said their lives had been ruined and they were left in chronic pain after operations conducted by Prof Eljamel.

It came as police said they were working with the National Crime Agency on their investigation into the former head of neurosurgery at NHS Tayside.

Police Scotland has taken statements from at least 30 former patients.

Another 12 patients have come forward to call for a public inquiry since the BBC story two weeks ago on a damning report which highlighted failures in how NHS Tayside oversaw the surgeon.

The National Crime Agency confirmed to the BBC that it was helping with the case. It has provided a neurosurgeon to go through the case notes of the patients who have come forward.

Fay Pelloie, was operated on by Mr Eljamel seven times.

Prof Eljamel harmed dozens of patients before he was suspended in 2013.

He was allowed to voluntarily remove himself from the General Medical Council's register and is now working as a surgeon in Libya.

The internal Scottish government report, which was leaked to the BBC, said the health board repeatedly let patients down.

It outlined failures in the way Prof Eljamel was supervised and the board's communication with patients.

The report was commissioned last year over unanswered questions and concerns from patients Jules Rose and Pat Kelly.

Mr Kelly has been left housebound and Ms Rose has PTSD after the neurosurgeon removed the wrong part of her body.

• Damning report on top surgeon's botched operations

Ms Rose was at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday to hand her letter to Public Health Minister Maree Todd.

The letter, addressed to Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said former patients continued to suffer tremendously as a direct consequence of Prof Eljamel.

It said neither NHS Tayside nor the Scottish government was willing or able to provide clear answers.

"This suggests either an inability to demonstrate transparency, or an attempt to conceal," the letter said.

They called for "external scrutiny" to ensure this can never happen again.

"Your government has failed us and the current system of lack of external scrutiny creates prime conditions for such a level of failure remain possible," it said.

Patients of Prof Eljamel and family members with Liz Smith MSP at the Scottish Parliament

Another former patient who attended Holyrood was Fay Pelloie, who was operated on by Mr Eljamel seven times.

She has been so badly damaged by her multiple surgeries that she has been told she will be paralysed.

Ms Pelloie said she was speaking out for the first time because she was tired of Prof Eljamel and those who should have been managing him just getting away with it.

She said she used to be fit and active but can now only walk short distances with a stick. She has been told it is a question of when she is paralysed not if.

"After the last surgery, I've been left with four areas in my spine where it's been closed off, the canal has been closed off, and the spinal chord has been compromised and one of those is going to paralyse me," Fay said.

Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith has supported campaigners in their calls for an inquiry, saying there had been a lack of accountability.

Ms Smith said: "These brave campaigners - many of whom continue to endure huge pain and suffering due to Prof Eljamel's malpractice - have fought tirelessly to get the answers they need and deserve.

"But they - and I - have come up against a brick wall at every turn.

"That's why an independent public inquiry is essential to get to the bottom of the failures of governance that allowed Eljamel to carry on wreaking havoc and ruining lives."

'Highest priority'

A NHS Tayside spokeswoman said the report into Prof Eljamel highlighted by the BBC looked at concerns relating to the care he provided to Ms Rose and Mr Kelly between 2007 and 2013.

She said Prof Eljamel has not worked in NHS Tayside since 2013.

The spokeswoman said two independent neurosurgeons from outside NHS Scotland undertook the review and concluded with eight recommendations for NHS Tayside.

She said some of the recommendations had already been addressed as clinical governance had "significantly evolved and improved" since 2013.

NHS Tayside said Ms Rose and Mr Kelly both received apologies and a number of issues highlighted by them were being addressed.

These include sharing NHS Tayside's action plan and a review of Mr Kelly's 2007 surgical procedure which is ongoing.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said NHS Tayside had accepted the findings and recommendations of the review.

"The questions that now remain are ones that must be answered by NHS Tayside rather than government, and I have been very clear with the board that I expect them to give this the highest priority and continue to support and involve those affected," he said.

"The Scottish government recognises the importance of accountability and expects NHS Tayside to continue to give a clear account of their ongoing actions."