Sam Eljamel: Inquiry into disgraced surgeon to hold preliminary hearing

A public inquiry set up to investigate disgraced surgeon Sam Eljamel will hold a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

The Eljamel Inquiry, chaired by Lord Weir, will investigate the activities and oversight of Eljamel, who was appointed by NHS Tayside as a consultant neurosurgeon at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in 1995 and went on to become head of neurosurgery at the site.

In 2013, Eljamel was placed under supervision and later suspended following concerns about the standard of clinical care he was providing to patients.

He resigned from NHS Tayside in 2014.

Patients of the former neurosurgeon have claimed he harmed as many as 200 people, with some suffering life-changing injuries.

Former patients of Eljamel plan to stage a demonstration outside the hearing in Edinburgh.

The Patients Action Group (PAG), which represents people operated on by Eljamel, has spoken out as the first public preliminary hearing of the Eljamel Inquiry convenes on Wednesday morning.

Alan Ogilvie a former patient operated on by Eljamel in 1995 and a spokesman for the group, said: “For the dozens of patients who have fought tirelessly for years, this hearing is a significant, if profoundly delayed, milestone.

“We have waited two years since the inquiry was first announced, and even longer since we were first harmed, for this process to finally begin in public.

“While we welcome this step, the immense emotional and physical toll of these delays on patients and their families cannot be understated.

“It is, quite simply, about time.”

The Eljamel Inquiry will determine, among other things, whether patients were let down by failures in clinical governance, risk management, and complaints procedures, and the adequacy of previous reviews.

It will also examine to what extent Eljamel’s private practice, research, and workload impacted on care received by his patients, and whether, and if so to what extent, Eljamel and NHS Tayside tried to conceal evidence of sub-standard care.

PAG have been campaigning since 2022 for a full public inquiry to take place. The inquiry was announced in 2023.

The group acknowledges inquiry chairman Lord Weir’s assurance that he intends to seek evidence from UK-wide regulatory bodies like the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

However, it also shares concerns over the Inquiry’s legal terms of reference which prevent it from making binding recommendations about these organisations.

Scotland’s health secretary Neil Gray formally set up the inquiry on April 3, empowering it to begin the process of gathering evidence.

To date, Lord Weir has designated applicants including NHS Tayside, 133 former patients of Eljamel and 19 personal representatives of former patients. This group is represented by the legal firm Levy & McRae.

The Scottish Government and the University of Dundee are also designated as core participants, as are the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland.

Members of the public, including former patients, can apply to attend the preliminary hearing in person.

Proceedings will also be broadcast live on the inquiry’s YouTube channel, and will be available to view later on its website.

The preliminary hearing will take place at Waverley Gate in central Edinburgh.

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “We are actively participating in the Eljamel Inquiry.”