Multiple sclerosis patients have spoken of their anger and fear for the future after receiving pointless treatment costing thousands of pounds at the hands of Dr Robert Trossel, who has been struck off by the General Medical Council.
Dr Trossel, 56, was told his actions had done "lasting harm" after a long-running GMC disciplinary hearing into his involvement with nine MS patients who sought his help in "desperation" to find a cure for the disease.
Brian Gomes da Costa, chairman of the GMC fitness to practise panel, told Dr Trossel: "You have exploited vulnerable patients and their families.
"You have given false hope and made unsubstantiated and exaggerated claims to patients suffering from degenerative and devastating illnesses. Your conduct has unquestionably done lasting harm, if not physically, then mentally and financially, to these patients and also to their families and supporters."
Some underwent painful and expensive removal of mercury fillings before travelling to his Rotterdam clinic as he had told them this would make stem cell treatment more effective.
They were united in accusing the Dutch-trained doctor of exploiting their vulnerability and desperation as sufferers from a disabling and incurable neurological disease.
Stephen Murphy, 42, from Timperley, Greater Manchester, was injected by Dr Trossel without his knowledge with a substance containing bovine brain and spinal cord live cells in February 2006. Mr Murphy, who paid £7,000 for his treatment, said: "There is no cure for MS, that is the bottom line. It is malign and insidious."
Trossel, he said, had been "firmly of the belief" that there was some "validity" to stem cell therapy and it would have beneficial effects.
Karen Galley, 45, a former City worker, from Hadleigh, Essex, visited Trossel's clinic in August 2006 in the hope that her son Sam, now aged 10, might see her walk.
She was charged around £10,500 for the treatment, receiving one injection in the arm and six in the neck. She too, it later emerged, had been injected without her knowledge with a substance containing bovine brain and spinal cord live cells.
Multiple sclerosis patients have spoken of their anger and fear for the future after receiving pointless treatment costing thousands of pounds at the hands of Dr Robert Trossel, who has been struck off by the General Medical Council.
Dr Trossel, 56, was told his actions had done "lasting harm" after a long-running GMC disciplinary hearing into his involvement with nine MS patients who sought his help in "desperation" to find a cure for the disease.
Brian Gomes da Costa, chairman of the GMC fitness to practise panel, told Dr Trossel: "You have exploited vulnerable patients and their families.
"You have given false hope and made unsubstantiated and exaggerated claims to patients suffering from degenerative and devastating illnesses. Your conduct has unquestionably done lasting harm, if not physically, then mentally and financially, to these patients and also to their families and supporters."
Some underwent painful and expensive removal of mercury fillings before travelling to his Rotterdam clinic as he had told them this would make stem cell treatment more effective.
They were united in accusing the Dutch-trained doctor of exploiting their vulnerability and desperation as sufferers from a disabling and incurable neurological disease.
Stephen Murphy, 42, from Timperley, Greater Manchester, was injected by Dr Trossel without his knowledge with a substance containing bovine brain and spinal cord live cells in February 2006. Mr Murphy, who paid £7,000 for his treatment, said: "There is no cure for MS, that is the bottom line. It is malign and insidious."
Trossel, he said, had been "firmly of the belief" that there was some "validity" to stem cell therapy and it would have beneficial effects.
Karen Galley, 45, a former City worker, from Hadleigh, Essex, visited Trossel's clinic in August 2006 in the hope that her son Sam, now aged 10, might see her walk.
She was charged around £10,500 for the treatment, receiving one injection in the arm and six in the neck. She too, it later emerged, had been injected without her knowledge with a substance containing bovine brain and spinal cord live cells.