Eljamel Inquiry Begins Evidential Hearings

The Eljamel Inquiry will begin taking evidence in public for the first time today at Waverley Gate in Edinburgh.  The Inquiry’s section 1 hearings will last four weeks, concluding on Friday 2nd October.

The first day of proceedings will begin with an opening address from the Inquiry’s Senior Counsel, Jamie Dawson KC.  Mr Dawson will outline the background to the Inquiry and set out the plan for the section 1 hearings, as well providing an update on the Inquiry’s work and progress.

The first witness will be Liz Smith CBE. In her former role as an MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, Ms Smith represented a number of Mr Eljamel’s former patients and helped to campaign for the establishment of a public inquiry.  The current chief executive of NHS Tayside, Nicky Connor, will give evidence on 9th September.

Ahead of the Inquiry hearings starting, Lord Weir, Chair of the Inquiry, said: “Today marks another important milestone in the progress of this Inquiry, and a watershed moment for all those who campaigned for it.

“Everyone engaged in the work of the Inquiry has an interest in finding out what happened and what lessons can be learned.

“I remain committed to conducting an investigation which is robust, thorough and impartial.  “I hope that those interested in the Inquiry’s work will find this introductory set of hearings valuable and informative in setting the context for what follows in our work”.

The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference were set in April 2025 by the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP.  Since then, the Inquiry has been gathering evidence in preparation for oral hearings.

The Inquiry will hold evidential hearings in six sections.

Section 1 is an introductory section. It is intended to provide important factual context for the sections which follow.   Issues covered during section 1 can be revisited in more depth during later sections, and some witnesses who give evidence during the initial section 1 hearings may be called back to provide additional oral evidence at future hearings.

Matters to be covered during section 1 include:

•    The broad trajectory of Mr Eljamel’s career, including the processes leading to his appointment in 1995 as a consultant neurosurgeon at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and later to the posts of Lead Clinician for neurosurgery and pain at Ninewells and Head of Department for Surgical Neurology at the University of Dundee

•    Evidence relating to Mr Eljamel being placed under supervision in 2013; his subsequent suspension by, and resignation from, NHS Tayside; and the erasure of his name from the GMC medical register

•    Statistical evidence relating to the nature and spread of Mr Eljamel’s work, including complaints

•    Document management and retention systems within NHS Tayside, including evidence relating to the destruction of theatre logbooks in 2025 and whether a lack of documents hindered past reviews and investigations relating to Mr Eljamel

•    Introductory evidence from the Inquiry’s three expert groups covering neurosurgery; medical ethics; and healthcare administration

•    The structure, role and remit of various organisations which could have played a role in the oversight of the work of Mr Eljamel and his team or in the aftermath of issues coming to light

•    The organisation of the neurosurgical service provided by NHS Tayside over the period of Mr Eljamel’s tenure and key policies and practices within NHS Tayside

The Inquiry will hear from a wide range of other witnesses during section 1, including representatives of NHS Tayside, the University of Dundee, the Scottish Government and regulatory or professional bodies.

A full list of witnesses for section 1 can be found here.

The scope of future sections in the Inquiry’s evidential plan will be broadly as follows:

•    Section 2 will focus on evidence of former patients of Mr Eljamel and from the Independent Clinical Review.  An outline of the scope of section 2 is available on the Inquiry’s website.

•    Section 3 will cover evidence from medical and other professionals, including examining the involvement of the GMC in matters relevant to the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

•    Section 4 will hear evidence from other organisations which could or should have had a role in oversight in the interests of Mr Eljamel’s patients

•    Section 5 will hear evidence from representatives of NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government

•    The Inquiry will conclude in section 6 by considering what lessons could be learned from the evidence gathered.

The full Terms of Reference, setting out the matters to be investigated by the Inquiry, can be found here.