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Public inquiry into brain surgeon Eljamel launched

BBC A man with glasses and a bow tie stands smiling beside a display showing an illustration of a human brainBBC
Sam Eljamel was the head of the neurosurgery department at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee

A public inquiry into disgraced Tayside brain surgeon Sam Eljamel has officially launched.

Eljamel, who was head of neurosurgery at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital until his suspension in December 2013, harmed dozens of patients and left some with life-changing injuries.

The Eljamel Inquiry, headed by Lord Weir, is expected to begin full hearings later this year.

Lord Weir said the independent inquiry would be "fair and thorough" and put patients "at the centre" of the process.

Jules Rose, a former patient of Eljamel, who helped lead the campaign for the public inquiry, said she did not want it to be "just a tick-box exercise."

She said she was disappointed that workplace regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would not be included in the inquiry.

Dates for a preliminary hearing and opening statements from key participants will be confirmed in the coming months.

The inquiry will determine whether patients were let down by failures in clinical governance, risk management, and complaints procedures, and to what extent 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."

Eljamel is believed to be operating in Libya after he was suspended from NHS Tayside, where he worked for almost 20 years.

A due diligence review into the health board found NHS Tayside placed him under indirect supervision in June 2013 rather than suspending him, meaning he was able to operate for a further six months.

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

A separate independent clinical review which will give Eljamel's patients the opportunity to have a personalised review of their care has also been launched.

A woman with blonde hair and brown eyes, wearing a black jumper, looks at the camera
Jules Rose, a former patient of Eljamel, helped lead the campaign for the public inquiry

Last December, Scotland's top law officer criticised the pace of Police Scotland's seven-year investigation into Eljamel.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC told Ms Rose in a letter that the probe "has not progressed as it should have".

Following the launch of the inquiry, Ms Rose said: "The HSE is the only authority in Scotland capable of bringing charges for failures in patient safety.

"By excluding the HSE from the terms of reference this inquiry risks missing out on a key element of accountability, particularly in relation to the health and safety breaches that may have occurred during this butcher surgeon's practice.

"By only really concentrating on local bodies, this inquiry may not fully explore whether systemic issues or failures within national oversight structures contributed to Eljamel's prolonged misconduct."