• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE •
22nd May 2024 @ 1430
Today, members of our group are protesting outside the Police Scotland building, Bell Street, Dundee. They wish to draw your attention to the severe delays in the Police’s investigations of complaints they submitted, many over 5 years ago, in regards shamed Neurosurgeon Eljamel and his employer NHS Tayside.
It has only been recently, since the announcement in September 2023 of the Public Inquiry into Eljamel and NHS Tayside that Police Scotland have upgraded their ‘investigations’ to the Major Investigation Team (MIT) – and named it ‘Operational Stringent’.
The protest wishes to highlight that the investigation into historical claims of harm caused to patients in 1995-2013 (and possibly longer) seems to continually be ‘kicked down the road’ by Police Scotland, whilst other investigations of perhaps lesser scale seem to be urgently dealt with especially when media coverage peaks. Maybe they should rename the investigation ‘Operation Stalling’.
Alongside our lead campaigner, Jules Rose, a number of patients have chosen today to make it public when they raised the complaints so that you can see for yourself the extent of the problem. Many are from late 2018, with patients raising complaints regularly over the years since.
Jules Rose, lead patient in our Campaign group, said:
“I am here on behalf of the 196 plus patients that we know about who are suffering life-changing injuries caused by the so called Professor, Eljamel. This rogue surgeon was employed and enabled by NHS Tayside. Of these patients, 100 have made formal complaints to Police Scotland about their harm and injuries. But their complaints appear not to have been heard.”
“These patients have been in limbo for over five and a half years since the Police began investigations in 2018.”
“What justice have they received? What answers have they been given? In fact, what progress has been made? It’s ‘Operation Stalling’ more than ‘Stringent’. They continue to kick the can down the road.”
“Patients feel on death row. There seems an absence of any urgency or commitment from the Police.”
“A Public Inquiry announcement offered a glimmer of hope, causing them to reassign their 5 year one-man band investigation to the Major Investigation Team (MIT) only after the announcement. But that hasn’t spurred the Police into action it seems. Their priorities seem skewed – even frivolous complaints appear to be investigated faster than this egregious case.”
“This isn’t just about accountability; it’s about public safety. I believe we have evidence that reaches the threshold of reckless conduct, yet those responsible continue to walk free, potentially putting others at risk. Eljamel may have fled, but others could follow suit or evade justice entirely. They do so with their taxpayer funded big fat pension pots.”
“Police Scotland’s inaction is a betrayal of public trust. Their duty is to protect us, and this blatant disregard for a case with such clear potential harm is shameful. We demand a serious investigation and a firm stance against those who endanger lives through negligence. The public deserves better. Shame on you Police Scotland.”
“Eljamel was able to flee the country quickly yet others have been handed years to enable them to evade justice either by fleeing or dying before Police Scotland get their priorities in order.”
“Enough is enough and we demand that the spotlight is continually fully shone fully on ‘Operation Stringent’ until investigations have been concluded and serious decisions are established on the criminality of both this corrupt health board and rogue surgeon. We are no longer prepared to wait any longer. Utter shame on Police Scotland.”
“Police Scotland does not appear to be fulfilling its duty of care to protect the public such rogue practice, reckless conduct and wilful neglect will remain a risk until those responsible are held to account.”
=== ENDS ===