Victims of 'brutally let down' by Scots butcher brain surgeon 'have waited long enough'

Health Secretary Neil Gray says the victims of brain butcher Sam Eljamel have waited long enough for answers.But while he has sympathy for those “brutally let down by Eljamel”, he said he is unable to get involved with the process of setting up the public inquiry or the independent clinical reviews patients were told would start two months ago.Gray said: “When I became Health Secretary, one of the first things I did was to seek to move the appointment of chairs, both of clinical reviews and public inquiry, forward as quickly as possible.”He said one of his first interactions in Parliament was to make the announcement of those chairs.But he said he could not say when either the clinical reviews or the public inquiry would begin.There are currently 198 known victims of the former NHS Tayside neurosurgeon.

Gray said: “I would expect patients to be contacted as quickly as possible. I made that point when I met both (chairs) Lord Weir and Professor Wigmore. “We have a patient group who, very understandably, feel let down, who understandably feel they have waited long enough and I emphasised the need for us to move as quickly as possible to establish these processes.“I have done all I can to get those processes moving; it is now for them (the chairs) on an independent basis to progress.”Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone