Scrutiny over health board governance has intensified as the independent Eljamel Inquiry proceeds with evidential hearings in Edinburgh, bringing NHS Tayside’s leadership and clinical oversight under renewed focus.

The inquiry, chaired by Lord Weir, is examining the systemic failures surrounding former consultant neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel, who left dozens of patients with life-altering injuries and disabilities following surgical procedures at Ninewells Hospital.

Leadership Under Scrutiny

The Inquiry’s timetable includes evidence from senior health board executives—including NHS Tayside Chief Executive Nicky Connor—focusing on historical complaint handling, clinical governance, and executive oversight.

A key area of concern for patient advocates remains the destruction of approximately 40 operating theatre logbooks, which patient groups argue contained crucial historical evidence. While an independent review found system failures rather than malicious intent behind the document loss, Chief Executive Nicky Connor acknowledged the gravity of the oversight, stating she took “full accountability” for the missing records.

Decades of Harm Under Review

Eljamel practiced at Ninewells Hospital between 1995 and his suspension in 2013. Former patients and their families, who campaigned for years for a judge-led public inquiry, have consistently highlighted delays and breakdowns in how early alarms were handled.

Alongside the public inquiry, the Independent Clinical Review (ICR)—chaired by Professor Stephen Wigmore—is reviewing hundreds of individual patient files to assess the extent of clinical harm and feed findings directly into the public inquiry.

Next Steps

Evidential hearings are scheduled to continue over the coming months, featuring testimony from former patients, clinical staff, NHS Tayside representatives, and officials from the General Medical Council and Scottish Government.

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay