Deputy First Minister John Swinney refused to back calls at Holyrood for a new inquiry into disgraced former Tayside surgeon Professor Sam Eljamel.
Dozens of patients were harmed under his care, including one case where he removed the wrong part of a patient’s body.
He was allowed to continue operating at Ninewells Hospital even after an external investigation found he was injuring patients.
Pressure is now mounting on the government to hold a public inquiry into what happened.
But when pressed for a decision in Holyrood, Mr Swinney sidestepped the request and said the case had been fully examined by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Who is Professor Eljamel?
Professor Eljamel qualified as a doctor in Tripoli, Libya, and went on to work in Liverpool, Dublin and Connecticut in the US.
He then became the head of neurosurgery at NHS Tayside while also working at Fernbrae Hospital, the former private hospital in Dundee, and as an adviser to the Scottish Government.
NHS Tayside became aware of concerns about Professor Eljamel in 2013 after he operated on the wrong part of a number of patients’ spines.
He was placed under supervision and an internal audit of his operations was carried out.
The Royal College of Surgeons was asked to investigate the same year and Professor Eljamel was suspended and reported to the General Medical Council.
He was then retired from NHS Tayside in May 2014.
At the time the Scottish Government said it was “very sorry” but ruled out an inquiry, saying it was “satisfied” by the NHS investigation.
Swinney responds to calls for an inquiry
At First Minister’s Questions Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith pressed the government to commission a “full independent inquiry” into his “medical negligence”.
She said this was necessary because “more and more patients are coming forward with their horrific stories about what happened to them”.
Mr Swinney, who was stepping in for Nicola Sturgeon while she met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said: “I recognise the seriousness of the situation and I express regret to anybody who has suffered as a consequence of the practice of Professor Eljamel.”
He added: “NHS Tayside commissioned a review from the Royal College of Surgeons into the practice of Professor Eljamel.
“These are professional issues which affected his clinical practice and restricted his clinical responsibilities as a consequence.”
He added Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has “made clear” to NHS Tayside it must meet the patients affected by Professor Eljamel’s negligence.
Victims will not stop campaigning
One of the leading voices calling for a public inquiry is Jules Rose from Kinross.
In 2013 she had a tear gland removed instead of a brain tumour by Professor Eljamel at Ninewells.
She has suffered from PTSD ever since and says she will not stop campaigning for an independent inquiry to be held.
Ms Rose said: “We will keep demanding a public inquiry because too many people have been left in limbo.
“We need to be able to understand what happened so we can move on with our life and get the justice we are seeking.”
She said not having an independent public inquiry means NHS Tayside is “marking its own homework”, and said the previous reviews have not dug into the lack of clinical governance and management.
Ms Rose added: “Everybody knows what Professor Eljamel did – he butchered people.
“But NHS Tayside didn’t have the appropriate clinical governance and management system in place to ensure patient safety – this does not stop at Professor Eljamel.”
Ms Rose and others who have suffered at the hands of Professor Eljamel also have an online petition calling for an independent public inquiry.
Conversation