Sam Eljamel: Chair appointed to head inquiry into disgraced Scottish brain surgeon

Former NHS Tayside surgeon Professor Sam Eljamel was alleged to have harmed dozens of patients - including leaving some with life-changing injuries - but was allowed to continue operating from June 2013 until December of that year.

The chair of an inquiry into the practice of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel has been appointed by the Scottish Government.

Health secretary Neil Gray announced on Thursday that Lord Robert Weir would chair the inquiry, which will now begin working on terms of reference before outlining the planned dates of the inquiry.

There have been demands for a full independent public inquiry into NHS Tayside’s handling of disgraced surgeon Professor Eljamel since September, following the publication of a damning report that found patients were put at risk after warnings were ignored.

Eljamel's victims protested outside the Scottish Parliament. Image: Andrew Milligan/Press Association.

In September, the health board apologised to more than 100 patients who were operated on by the brain surgeon, despite him being under supervision pending an investigation into malpractice.

He was alleged to have harmed dozens of patients, including leaving some with life-changing injuries, but was allowed to continue operating from June 2013 until December of that year.

During his “indirect supervision”, Prof Eljamel was accompanied on his ward rounds once a week, but was otherwise allowed to continue working as normal.

After he was finally suspended in December, nine of the 111 patients he operated on during his supervision period submitted formal complaints, while a further two initiated legal action against NHS Tayside.

Protestors outside the Scottish Parliament. Image: Andrew Milligan/Press Association.

There are now 98 complaints pertaining to Prof Eljamel’s practice in Tayside, although any complaints from before 2012 were destroyed when NHS Tayside switched its Adverse Incident Management system over to a system called Datix.

Mr Gray has also announced a clinical review, chaired by Professor Stephen Wigmore of the University of Edinburgh, which is due to begin in April.

Speaking in Holyrood, Mr Gray said: “In recent days I have met with a number of patients and patient representatives who have suffered terribly as a result of the actions of Mr Eljamel – firstly outside the Parliament at the protest last Thursday and then at a further meeting this morning.

“The experiences shared with me from these brave individuals are truly shocking and I would like to put on record my regret that their search for answers has taken so long. They also have my heartfelt respect for their determination to get to the truth of what has happened.

Jules Rose, who was the last of Eljamel's victims. Image: Andrew Milligan/Press Association.

“This is why the aims of this inquiry are so important – to establish who knew what, and when, and what factors contributed to the failures described by the report, ‘NHS Tayside Due Diligence Review of Documentation relating to Prof Eljamel’.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith, who led Holyrood's cross-party group into the scandal, welcomed the announcement. She said: "Not only is there the issue about Eljamel's extensive malpractice, but also the issue of decision-making within NHS Tayside.

"We need to know exactly who was involved, what roles each of these individuals had and, in the final lines of responsibility and accountability, why this man was not stopped from inflicting the most appalling physical and psychological harm on his patients.”