Former patients of a disgraced surgeon are set to protest at a hospital where his botched operations left them with life-changing conditions.
It comes after Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf rejected calls for a public inquiry into why NHS Tayside let Professor Sam Eljamel operate on them despite facing a probe at the time.
Protesters will demonstrate outside Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital at 1pm on Wednesday.
In 2013, Eljamel – who is now understood to be practising in Libya – removed a tear duct instead of a brain tumour from Kinross mum Jules Rose, 55.
Fellow patient Patrick Kelly almost died after spinal surgery in 2007 that has left him in constant pain and housebound.
Eljamel removed himself from the medical register in 2014 and a probe in 2018 claimed he’d harmed more than 50 patients.
Three years later, Carolyn Almond-Roots won £2.8million in compensation over her botched surgery after Eljamel and NHS Tayside accepted liability. Jules said: “The Scottish Government and NHS Tayside are trying to play mind games with us.
“We’re not giving up – we’re just warming up, and we will get our public inquiry to find out why NHS Tayside allowed Eljamel to conduct butchery since 1997. Because I’m the lead campaigner, they’re hoping to batter me down but they’ve underestimated me.
“There has been internal bias within NHS Tayside and that’s why a public inquiry has to happen.”
Yousaf said he is “not convinced a public inquiry is necessary” because NHS Tayside had “fully accepted the findings” of reviews of “unresolved and outstanding concerns”.
He said: “Concerns about Professor Eljamel’s practice are meanwhile subject to an ongoing police investigation.”
He added: “The Scottish Government recognises the damage done as a result of Professor Eljamel’s actions. I recognise, too, how frustrating it is more cannot be done to hold Professor Eljamel to account, now he’s living and practising abroad.”
Liz Smith, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “I reject the Cabinet Secretary’s assertion that matters will be resolved without a public inquiry. No one has ever been held accountable for what happened and that is just not acceptable.”
NHS Tayside said: “We continue to be in contact directly with Ms Rose and have offered her another meeting with the chair, chief executive and medical director.
“Ms Rose has advised that she welcomes this further opportunity for discussion. We are also making arrangements for other patients who wish to discuss their circumstances to be invited to a meeting.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
