Eljamel Inquiry Launches

The independent Public Inquiry investigating the activities and oversight of NHS Tayside neurosurgeon, Sam Eljamel, will be “fair and thorough”, its Chair has said.

Lord Weir has promised to put the consultant’s former patients “at the centre” of the inquiry process in a statement marking the formal launch of proceedings.

Mr Eljamel was employed by NHS Tayside from 1995 until 2014, rising to the post of head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

He also held various research and teaching positions with the University of Dundee and worked in private practice at Fernbrae Hospital.

However, concerns over the standard of clinical care provided to patients by Mr Eljamel led to the consultant being placed under supervision and then suspended by NHS Tayside in 2013.

He subsequently resigned in May 2014 and removed his own name from the medical register of the General Medical Council in 2015.

The Inquiry will determine, among other things, whether patients were let down by failures in clinical governance, risk management, and complaints procedures, and to what extent Mr Eljamel’s private practice, research, and workload impacted on the care received by his patients within NHS Tayside.

Lord Weir said: “I recognise that for many former patients and their families the experiences which form the subject matter of the Inquiry have been traumatic.

“That is why my Inquiry is committed to conducting its work in a way that is trauma-informed. It will listen to those who feel their voices have not been heard.

“It will pursue its investigations with an open mind, showing courtesy and respect towards those with whom it comes into contact, but guided by the principle of impartiality that comes from being independent of any individual or body, including the Scottish Government that funds it.”

The Inquiry was announced on 7 September 2023 by then-Cabinet Secretary for Health, Michael Matheson, following a long-running campaign spearheaded by former patients of Mr Eljamel.

At the time, Mr Matheson said that a Due Diligence Review, published by NHS Tayside in August 2023, had left “many unanswered questions” and outlined “a number of failings” surrounding the health board’s handling of concerns about Mr Eljamel which Mr Matheson said could “only be examined thoroughly by a public inquiry”.

Lord Weir was appointed to chair the Inquiry in February 2024, and Jamie Dawson KC will act as its senior counsel.

Formal set up means that the Terms of Reference have been finalised and the Inquiry is now empowered to begin gathering and scrutinising documentary evidence.

Dates for a preliminary hearing and opening statements from core participants will be confirmed in the coming months, with full hearings expected to get underway later this year.   

The Inquiry’s website is now live. It will provide regular updates on the Inquiry’s progress and access to a broadcast stream during hearings.

Patients treated by Mr Eljamel have also been invited to take part in a separate Independent Clinical Review (ICR) process, headed by Professor Stephen Wigmore, which will set out what went wrong clinically in individual cases.

The findings of the ICR will help to inform the work of the Inquiry.

Lord Weir said the Inquiry “will provide an opportunity for public acknowledgement of the suffering of former patients of Mr Eljamel”.

He added: “Those who become engaged in the work of the Inquiry all have an interest in finding out what happened, what went wrong, and who was responsible.

“My aim is to conduct a fair and thorough Inquiry that reaches answers to the questions posed by our Terms of Reference for those who seek them.”