Sohier El-Neil: ‘Hero’ surgeon who helped to expose pelvic mesh scandal faces losing home over £634k court bill

An award-winning surgeon once hailed as a “health hero” faces losing his home and even jail time after failing to pay a £634,000 court bill.

Professor Sohier El-Neil, a pioneering doctor who was awarded a national award by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018 for her work on women’s health rights, was sued by patient Deborah Biggadike following gynecological surgery in January 2017.

Ms Biggadike faced “life-changing injuries” including pain and bladder problems. A High Court judge later ruled that some of the treatment provided by Prof El-Neil was “not clinically justified”.

The surgeon was ordered to pay Ms Biggadike £200,118 in compensation and £434,876 in legal fees. However, only £50,000 of this amount was paid.

In May 2025, a charging order was placed on Prof El-Neil’s £800,000 flat near Hyde Park to cover the £584,000 debt he owed to his former patient.

Now Ms Biggadike, 61, from Hertfordshire, is petitioning a High Court judge for an order that could lead to the surgeon being jailed if the outstanding payment continues to go unpaid.

However, lawyers told the court that Prof El-Neil himself was struggling with acute health problems and had previously asked for the case against him to be “discontinued” on the grounds that he was “medically unfit to participate in legal proceedings”.

Prof El-Neil, professor of medicine at UCL and consultant gynecologist specializing in uro-gynecology and uro-neurology at University College Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, became famous in 2018 for her leading role in uncovering the vaginal mesh scandal.

Vaginal mesh was once widely used for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, but its use was restricted in the UK in 2018 after some women experienced chronic pain and other life-changing effects. Many requested that the mesh be removed, but it proved difficult to remove completely.

Prof El-Neil was interviewed many times on television and radio, and was presented with awards from the BBC. Single ShowActor Michael Sheen declared himself the winner at the NHS Patient Awards, presented by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Daily Mail The Health Hero Award was presented by then Prime Minister Theresa May.

But he began to fall out of favor in July 2024 when it was discovered he had “breached his duty” to Ms Biggadike, failing to obtain her informed consent for treatment that “could not be justified on the basis of symptomatology” and leaving her with long-term bladder problems.

He was later suspended from practice by the GMC’s fitness to practice panel in October 2024 after he was found to have made a false statement about mesh removal surgery to another patient.

High Court judge Carmel Ward ruled on Ms Biggadike’s claim in 2024, finding Ms El-Neil’s evidence was “insufficient” and ordering her to pay her patient £200,118 in compensation.

The surgeon was also told to pay his former patient’s legal fees of £434,876 in January last year.

But Ms Biggadike’s lawyer, Giselle McGowan, told the High Court last week that Prof El-Neil had failed to make further payments after the £50,000 installment and had subsequently failed to attend hearings investigating his assets and ability to repay his debts, describing his behavior as “appalling”.

But the court also heard a letter submitted to the court by a psychiatrist explaining that the famous doctor himself was struggling with acute health problems and was treated for PTSD by a psychiatrist in September last year.

However, Ms McGowan told Ms Justice Lambert that despite repeatedly failing to attend court hearings as required, Prof El-Neil had managed to maintain some of his academic and professional commitments.

“Whilst Ms El-Neil has repeatedly stated that she is incapacitated and incapable of dealing with enforcement proceedings in relation to the claim due to the mental health issues she has suffered since December 2024, Ms Biggadike has obtained evidence to show that she appeared to have held professional conferences during the same period on 24 and 26 February 2025, and that she attended a professional conference in Leeds on 20 May 2025 – the day she did not attend the inquiry.”

Prof El-Neil also contributed to “numerous academic papers and articles” published throughout 2024 and 2025, the lawyer said.

Ms. Biggadike is now seeking a ruling that the surgeon was in contempt of court for repeatedly failing to attend hearings and failing to produce required court documents.

Her lawyer said a death order with a suspended prison sentence was needed to obtain Ms Biggadike’s full compensation, where Professor El-Neil had not yet made any payments towards the £200,000 compensation ordered and was still owed costs of £384,876.

“The judgment consists of damages for the plaintiff’s life-changing personal injury caused by Ms. El-Neil’s negligence and the costs that Ms. Biggadike has incurred and continues to incur as a result,” he said.

“Although Ms. El-Neil has failed to comply with her legal obligation to compensate the plaintiff, Ms. Biggadike remains out of pocket and continues to incur other expenses for which she has not been compensated – but should have been.

“In order to obtain satisfaction, Ms. Biggadike is forced to pursue enforcement despite all the stress and additional costs this entails.

“Its conduct in relation to the claim and enforcement action is appalling and should be discontinued.”

Addressing the judge herself, Ms Biggadike told him that the surgery she performed with Prof El-Neil, which resulted in her injury, was “private treatment” carried out at the “Harley Street clinic”.

Prof El-Neil did not attend and was not represented at last week’s hearing, with the result that Ms Justice Lambert reserved her decision.