Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Victims welcome city graduate heading up Eljamel probe
‘Like getting blood from a stone’ says campaigner
VICTIMS of disgraced NHS Tayside neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel have welcomed the appointment of a senior judge to lead an independent probe into the scandal.
Health Secretary Neil Gray confirmed yesterday that Lord Robert Weir KC would chair the public inquiry.
Lord Weir – who was installed as a senator of the College of Justice in 2020 – is a graduate of Dundee University.
Mr Gray also announced the appointment of Professor Stephen Wigmore, regius chair of clinical surgery and head of department of surgery at Edinburgh University, to lead the independent clinical review of all of Sam Eljamel’s former patients.
Mr Gray told MSPs at Holyrood: “I would want to assure not just Parliament, but more importantly those who have suffered at the hands of Mr Eljamel, just how seriously I take this public inquiry.
“We must get to the truth of what has happened to continue to rebuild trust with the public but also to ensure that vital learning is applied and we can prevent similar circumstances from occurring again.
“I will continue to update the Parliament as this work progresses.”
MSPs praised the tenacity of campaigners who had long called for an inquiry, including Kinross mum Jules Rose and former Dundee DJ Pat Kelly.
Welcoming the progress in appointing a chair, lead campaigner Jules Rose said the group would continue to scrutinise the progress of the inquiry.
She said: “I’m glad that the next steps have been announced, but it’s been like getting blood from a stone.
“We’ve had to shame the Scottish Government to get some, any, movement. These delays are unacceptable – harmed patients and their families need support and answers now. Some have waited over 10 years.
“The public inquiry is necessary, not only for our patients, but also for the public – we’ve exposed how poor governance allowed this to happen, we’ve exposed malpractices, and we’ve shown how these things can continue to happen.
“The public inquiry is also going to help safeguard the care of every other patient in NHS Scotland going forward.
“I have been assured by Neil Gray that the public inquiry’s terms of reference will be developed with our input.
“We all want the answers that the public inquiry will surface, but let’s also get on with the individual clinical review processes and stop dithering about whilst we slowly die out.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith, who assisted victims of the surgeon in their campaign for an inquiry, said she hoped it would be the start of justice.
But she told MSPs that the inquiry should have started “long ago”, and there had been too much “dither and delay”.
She said: “It is essential that the public inquiry uncovers the full facts about what happened and who knew what, when.
“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.”
Scottish Labour north-east MSP Michael Marra said: “The news chairs have been appointed is welcome, but it should not have taken this long, 175 days have already passed since the public inquiry was announced.
“The terms of reference are still to be agreed – when will the inquiry actually commence?
“Victims’ trust in NHS Tayside has been shattered by years of delay and the culture of cover-up that has, sadly, characterised the health board for many years.”