A SURGEON who bungled spine operations at a private hospital in Scotland could face further investigation after a tribunal allowed him to work for the NHS.

At least two patients have submitted fresh complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC) about Colin Campbell Mainds, who made a series of mistakes when he was working for BMI Ross Hall Hospital in Glasgow.

The GMC will consider new complaints about the doctor, who has already been through a medical practitioners' tribunal, and can refer them back to the tribunal panel service.

Richard Williams, who said the hip replacement Mr Mainds gave him in 2005 failed within a fortnight, said the GMC had written to him promising to write again once the hearing was complete, to let him know what would happen next.

Mr Williams, who is in his 70s and lives in Barrhead, said: "I am hoping they look at these (new) cases now because the judgment they have made is ridiculous. I just cannot understand it."

The hearing investigated the treatment of nine patients by Mr Mainds in 2008 and 2009 at Ross Hall, among them seven who had been sent there by NHS Lothian in order to meet the Scottish Government's waiting times targets.

It found Mr Mainds, from the Isle of Arran, did not adequately examine three patients before surgery, placed spinal implants incorrectly and carried out in-appropriate surgery on a 20-year-old. One female patient told the hearing she was "unnerved" by the casual approach he took.

Mr Williams was also referred to Ross Hall by the NHS. He said 11 days after Mr Mainds performed the hip replacement he was lying in bed when he experienced terrible pain and found when he tried to move "it was as though my leg was not joined on".

He said he has since had two further operations at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and praised his treatment there.

Michael McFadden, a spinal patient who described being operated on four times by Mr Mainds, also says he has written to the GMC outlining his experiences.

Nineteen conditions have been placed on Mr Mainds by the tribunal, including his work being supervised by a consultant who must be on site and available at all times when the surgeon is working.

He is no longer allowed to work for the private sector but can perform surgery for the NHS.

NHS Grampian has confirmed for the first time that Mr Mainds, 56, has been assisting in theatres at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen.