Public inquiry to be held into disgraced brain surgeon

A public inquiry will be held into the disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel, the Scottish government has confirmed.

Eljamel harmed dozens of patients at NHS Tayside, leaving some with life-changing injuries.

He was head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee until December 2013, when he was suspended.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said he was persuaded of the need for the inquiry after reading a damning due diligence review into NHS Tayside.

It follows a long-running campaign which saw almost 150 former patients of the surgeon calling for the inquiry.

Mr Matheson said he had concluded that a public inquiry was "the only route to get to the bottom of who knew what and when, and what contributed to the failures described by NHS Tayside".

The health secretary said he also wanted to see individual cases reviewed independently of NHS Tayside in a "person-centred, trauma-informed" manner.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 7 September 2023