Public inquiry to be held into disgraced surgeon Eljamel

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf confirmed the move to Parliament on Thursday.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced the formation of a public inquiry into rogue neurosurgeon Professor Sam Eljamel.

Prof Eljamel worked at NHS Tayside from 1995 until he was suspended in 2013 for what Mr Yousaf described as “despicable actions”.

Calls for a public inquiry have increased since NHS Tayside published a report last week which revealed Prof Eljamel operated on 111 patients between his suspension and leaving his employment.

Jules Rose – who has been campaigning for an inquiry for a decade and formed a pressure group to push for it – said earlier this month that more than 200 patients may have been impacted by Prof Eljamel.

Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday – ahead of a statement from Health Secretary Michael Matheson on the issue – Mr Yousaf said: “This is a deeply important issue and I can inform the chamber today that Health Secretary Michael Matheson will use his statement to the chamber this afternoon to confirm that the Government has decided to commission a full, independent public inquiry.

“This comes after very careful consideration of the recent due diligence review, which said concerns about Professor Eljamel were not acted on with the urgency they deserved.

“In commissioning the inquiry, it remains important that those people directly affected are still supported to find the answers they need and that both staff and patients across Scotland know that lessons are being learned.”

Scottish Labour MSP Michael Marra – who is among a group of Tayside and Perth-based politicians who have pushed for an inquiry – said the announcement had to be “wrung out of the Government”, and he paid tribute to Ms Rose and fellow campaigner Pat Kelly.

Mr Yousaf said he did not agree with the characterisation, saying both he and the Health Secretary never ruled out a public inquiry into the disgraced surgeon.

Conservative MSP Liz Smith, who has long been campaigning for the victims to receive answers, welcomed the decision, and asked if a victim support fund for those impacted could be considered.

Mr Yousaf said: “There are, as Liz Smith knows well, appropriate routes in relation to compensation that families can go through when it comes to health boards.

“Of course, if there are other avenues that we can explore to support patients, then we will give that consideration, but there are already established avenues for patients who have suffered as a result of the NHS to be able to claim compensation.”

He did admit, however, that these routes to compensation “can be difficult to navigate”, reiterating the Government will investigate any support that can be offered.

The announcement comes after patients harmed by Prof Eljamel during his time at NHS Tayside and campaigners gathered outside the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday wearing surgical garb to call for a public inquiry.

On the same day, Mr Matheson told journalists there was a chance the rogue doctor could be extradited back to Scotland from his current home in Libya to be “brought to account”.