Campaigner wants Labour to support surgeon’s victims in quest for justice
Former patient, Jules Rose, who leads the campaign on behalf of dozens of the Tayside surgeon’s other victims, has written to the Labour Party ahead of the General Election.
The 55-year-old wants the party to help extradite Eljamel, who fled to Libya, if they win.
She said: “If there is a Labour government we would be seeking a meeting at the earliest opportunity with the new secretary of state and foreign secretary to seek the extradition of butcher Eljamel. Given Sir Keir Starmer’s background as a former chief prosecutor, we hope he’d be supportive in our quest for justice.”
Jules, who had a tear duct removed by Eljamel instead of a tumour, also called on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie to help them get answers.
It comes after Sarwar said his party’s Scottish manifesto, out this week, would include Milly’s Law – named after cancer patient Milly Main, 10, who died at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after contracting an infection.
The law would help bereaved relatives by setting up an independent public advocate with the authority to probe incidents rather than families having to fight for years. Jules said in a letter to the
Labour leaders: “I am delighted to hear about Labour’s manifesto pledge with Milly’s Law and I do hope it will bring some comfort to her family naming this law after Milly. I understand it shall create an independent public advocate with the authority to investigate incidents to establish the truth.
“Can I ask as patients’ representative of nearly 200 badly harmed patients that you expand this manifesto pledge to include harmed patients such as Eljamel’s?”
She wants to know why he was allowed to continue working in Tayside and why he was never held to account.
Jules said after the Government’s “appalling track record” at inquiries, where politicians had been “less than candid.… we cannot run the risk of this happening” at an Eljamel inquiry.
Scottish Labour Health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “It is nothing short of disgraceful that Sam Eljamel’s victims are still waiting for answers and Scottish Labour stands fully behind these patients in their fight for justice. In the recent Patient Safety Bill, Scottish Labour attempted to introduce Milly’s Law to reset the balance of power and strengthen protections for patients and whistleblowers – it is shameful that the SNP voted against these plans.”
Can I ask that you expand the manifesto pledge
Jules Rose IN HER LETTER TO LABOUR CHIEFS