Sam Eljamel: Public inquiry to be held into disgraced brain surgeon

A nationalist enquiry volition beryllium held into the disgraced encephalon surgeon Sam Eljamel, First Minister Humza Yousaf has confirmed.

Eljamel harmed dozens of patients astatine NHS Tayside, leaving immoderate with life-changing injuries.

He was caput of neurosurgery astatine Ninewells Hospital successful Dundee until December 2013, erstwhile helium was suspended.

Mr Yousaf confirmed the determination to clasp a nationalist enquiry during First Minister's Questions astatine Holyrood.

It follows a long-running campaign, with astir 150 erstwhile patients of the surgeon calling for the inquiry.

The archetypal curate said the determination was taken aft "very cautious consideration" of the "extremely disturbing" findings of a owed diligence reappraisal into NHS Tayside.

It recovered that concerns astir Eljamel were not acted upon with the urgency they deserved.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson told MSPs that helium was unconvinced of the request for a nationalist enquiry until helium work that report.

He said it had brought to airy important accusation that had not antecedently been known by the Scottish government.

And helium concluded that a nationalist enquiry was "the lone way to get to the bottommost of who knew what and when, and what contributed to the failures described by NHS Tayside".

There person been mounting calls for a nationalist enquiry since BBC Scotland's Disclosure programme discovered successful 2018 that dozens of radical claimed to person been harmed by the surgeon.

A study published past week criticised NHS Tayside managers for putting the doc nether indirect supervision successful June 2013, alternatively than suspending him.

It meant helium was allowed to proceed operating until helium was suspended successful December that year.

Jules Rose, a erstwhile diligent of Eljamel who has go a starring campaigner for an inquiry, met with ministers up of the connection to parliament.

She said she was "absolutely delighted" with the determination but would reserve last judgement until the presumption of notation were made clear.

Ms Rose had a teardrop gland removed alternatively of encephalon tumour successful August 2013. Eljamel performed a 2nd cognition connected her connected 9 December that year.

She said she believed she was the lone diligent to beryllium operated connected by Eljamel doubly during the six period play erstwhile helium should person been suspended.

Becoming emotional, she told BBC Scotland News: "Ironic, due to the fact that arsenic you tin see, I tin lone outcry from 1 eye.

"He removed the incorrect portion of my assemblage and I don't cognize why. Only helium tin reply that. But I've accepted I volition ne'er get that answer.

"But I volition get the answers present done a nationalist enquiry - wherefore Tayside allowed this butcher surgeon to perpetrate the harm that helium did to myself and the names of 150 different patients that I have."

For Jules Rose, this announcement is simply a decennary successful the making. For galore of the different 150 patients calling for a nationalist enquiry it goes backmost adjacent further.

Five years agone our probe into Eljamel revealed for the archetypal clip precisely however overmuch the wellness committee knew and erstwhile and however agelong they allowed their caput of neurosurgery to transportation connected operating and harming patients.

It led to the constabulary probe into the surgeon. And that is inactive ongoing. Years of further revelations by america and others and campaigning by patients similar Jules and MSPs similar Liz Smith, has led to this moment.

Earlier this year, Health Secretary Michael Matheson was adamant determination would beryllium nary nationalist enquiry and alternatively announced an autarkic review. The patients unanimously rejected that.

Then successful June we published a communicative astir NHS whistleblowers saying the committee knew adjacent earlier that determination were superior concerns astir the surgeon.

It seems the dependable drip of revelations and past week's study by the wellness committee itself has near ministers with small different prime than a afloat nationalist inquiry.

At Holyrood, tributes were paid to the campaigners including Ms Rose and Patrick Kelly, who recovered retired years aft a spine cognition by Eljamel that the intended country had not been carried out.

Labour MSP Michael Marra said the announcement should person travel sooner. He told Mr Yousaf the enquiry had been "wrung retired of the authorities similar humor from a stone" by victims of botched surgeries.

Mr Yousaf said: "Professor Eljamel is liable for his despicable actions but wherever determination are systematic failings past they indispensable perfectly beryllium interrogated and lessons indispensable beryllium learned."

He added that it was to the "credit of the brave patients" that the enquiry was being acceptable up.

It is understood that Eljamel present works arsenic a surgeon successful Libya.