More than 100 patients were put at ‘risk of harm’ after warnings about a rogue surgeon were ignored.
Brain surgeon Professor Sam Eljamel was described as ‘a poor doctor’.
Despite harming patients with botched surgeries, health board chiefs allowed him to continue operating until he was suspended in late 2013.
A review by NHS Tayside has found the neurosurgeon was not properly supervised despite concerns about his abilities.
He operated on 111 patients unsupervised in the last six months of his employment – even though bosses were aware of serious complaints.
Brain surgeon Professor Sam Eljamel was dubbed ‘a poor doctor’ but despite botched surgeries, health board chiefs at NHS Tayside allowed him to continue operating until his suspension in late 2013
Eljamel was head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and left patients with life-altering injuries. Despite concerns over his practice, he was allowed to operate on 111 patients unsupervised in the six months leading to his suspension in 2013
I went in to have tumour removed. But instead he cut out my tear gland…
Patient Jules Rose, 55
Patient Jules Rose, 55, had a tear gland removed instead of a brain tumour by Professor Eljamel. She has suffered from PTSD since the operation.
The mother of two, from Kinross, was operated on by the surgeon in August 2013 – after he was placed under supervision amid serious concerns about his work.
Mrs Rose, who works in education, has been left with dry eyes and unable to wear contact lenses.
She is a member of a patient action group set up to campaign for a public inquiry, and criticised the NHS Tayside internal review.
Mr Rose said: ‘NHS Tayside have marked their own homework with this review because they carried it out themselves.
‘My concern is that we are now hearing of 111 patients potentially exposed to risk of harm from Professor Eljamel after he was put under supervision.
‘NHS Tayside knew they were going to suspend him when they let him operate on me in December 2013. This is a bigger scandal than we realised. He butchered patients and the gravity and seriousness of this needs a public inquiry.’
Mrs Rose’s campaigning work has included a petition and protests outside the Scottish parliament.
She added: ‘Multiple patients coming forward in increasing numbers have been harmed as a consequence of inappropriate, unnecessary and in many cases dangerous care by this surgeon.
‘Many of these patients are now living with life-long and life- changing debilitating injuries.
‘As patients we were individually led to believe/misled that our experience was a singular incident.’
Mrs Rose added: ‘There are many critical questions that still remain unanswered – and as such there is no assurance that such a scenario could not arise again any day, anywhere in our health system in Scotland.’
NHS Tayside said yesterday that the patients operated on at this time will receive a letter of apology.
The Scottish Government has promised a further independent investigation into the scandal.
But Tory, Liberal Democrat and Labour MSPs are calling for a full independent public inquiry.
Tory MSP Liz Smith said: ‘These latest revelations are devastating.
‘They prove beyond all doubt that NHS Tayside failed to act appropriately when they knew there were very serious concerns about the medical practices of Professor Eljamel.
‘Just as scandalous is the fact that they have kept the truth from the patients for years and that the Scottish Government has failed to address this. A full public inquiry is essential.’
Professor Eljamel worked as a consultant neurosurgeon at NHS Tayside from 1995 until December 2013.
The former head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, left patients with life-altering injuries.
In one case, he removed a woman’s tear gland instead of a tumour.
A complaint made in December 2012 triggered a Significant Clinical Event Analysis (SCEA) which found issues with his clinical practice.
The SCEA, as well as two further complaints, escalated the problem to medical management.
The board launched a probe in June 2013, with the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) carrying out a review.
In the six months that followed, Professor Eljamel operated on 111 patients, with nine submitting complaints and two raising legal claims. He was under indirect supervision, meaning he was not supervised directly in the operating theatre by another neurosurgeon.
The NHS Tayside report said: ‘These patients were placed at potential risk of harm due to the inadequacy of the supervision arrangements.’
Yesterday, Dr Pamela Johnson, NHS Tayside executive medical director, told a board meeting: ‘Police Scotland were involved at some stage. I can’t give you any more information than that.’
The RCS warned about the surgeon’s ‘probity’ in October 2013, midway through the supervision period, and said there were signs he was ‘a poor doctor’ with ‘poor communication, poor behaviours and complaints’, but NHS Tayside made no escalation of supervision.
A staff member lodged a complaint during this time, but there ‘was no outcome or action identified’, the report said. Professor Eljamel was allowed to continue working for another three months, before being suspended in December 2013.
He removed himself from the medical register and left Scotland to live and work in Libya.
Some of his patients have suffered life-changing consequences including chronic pain and PTSD.
The NHS Tayside review also found there were three complaints in 2011 and 2012, which rose to eight before he was suspended, and 84 complaints were logged afterwards.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘I have been clear that this needs investigation independent of both NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government. We will provide more details on this shortly.’
Police Scotland said its inquiries were ongoing.