Health board management who let a neurosurgeon continue operating on patients despite knowing of serious complaints against him are facing calls to resign.
A damning internal report published on Thursday found that NHS Tayside failed to put in place adequate monitoring of Prof Sam Eljamel, despite a rising number of complaints.
The doctor’s patients, who have been fighting for recognition of harm done for almost a decade, said they felt vindicated by the report but renewed their calls for a full public inquiry into what they believe is years of negligence, cover-ups and bad governance.
“It’s another step forward, but this is the fifth review conducted at taxpayers’ expense where they are marking their own homework,” said Jules Rose, a longtime campaigner who had a tear gland removed by Eljamel instead of a brain tumour.
“This report doesn’t highlight anything new to us, and is just further evidence of incompetence and management failure. We need a public inquiry as well as healthcare and support for all those patients who are struggling with pain and disability every day.”
Many in the group have faced devastating consequences after treatment by Eljamel, including paralysis, blindness, nerve damage, constant pain and severe incontinence.
In July one patient, Theresa Mallett, told the Guardian she had suffered “soul-destroying” pain for more than a decade since a botched sciatica operation.
The report criticised NHS Tayside management for “inadequate assessment of risk and consideration of patient safety”, and said the doctor – then head of neurosurgery – was put under indirect supervision in June 2013 rather than suspended, which did not happen until December.
In the intervening months he was allowed to operate on 111 patients unsupervised, despite being under clinical supervision after senior management were made aware of serious complaints, with the report admitting “patients were placed at potential risk of harm due to the inadequacy of the supervision arrangements”.
“It was clear that he was not being truthful with his patients about procedures and he did not share mistakes with colleagues for learning and reflection,” it said.
Patients who were operated on during this time – nine of whom subsequently made complaints and two who submitted legal claims – will receive a letter of apology from the health board. But Jules Rose says she is aware of a further 128 patients harmed by the surgeon before July 2013.
Eljamel gave up his right to practise in the UK in 2015 and is believed to be working in Libya.
Apologising to Eljamel’s former patients, the NHS Tayside executive medical director, Dr Pamela Johnston, said: “We recognise that many former patients remain understandably very upset and unhappy with what has happened. NHS Tayside remains committed to do whatever is required to support the independent commission which is being set up by the Scottish government to respond to patients’ ongoing concerns.”
As the report was published, MSPs from across Holyrood’s opposition parties joined forces to renew calls for a full independent public inquiry into the Eljamel case, and the Scottish Labour deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, demanded the resignation of NHS Tayside’s leadership team, describing it as “one of the greatest scandals in recent years.”
