Eljamel inquiry begins public evidence sessions with former Tory MSP Liz Smith

The public inquiry into the disgraced surgeon Sam Eljamel will begin its public evidence sessions today.

Eljamel, a former head of neurosurgery at NHS Tayside, is thought to have harmed up to 200 patients in botched operations that took place before he was finally suspended in 2013. He later fled to Libya.

One of the first people to give evidence to the inquiry will be former Tory MSP Liz Smith who has long campaigned on behalf of Eljamel’s former patients.

The inquiry, which was first announced in 2023, is being led by Lord Weir, with public evidence sessions taking place at Waverley Gate in Edinburgh. This first tranche of hearings will conclude on 2 October.

The current chief executive of NHS Tayside, Nicky Connor, will give evidence tomorrow.

Lord Weir 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.”

The inquiry’s terms of reference were set in April 2025 by the then health secretary Neil Gray.  Since then, it has been gathering evidence in preparation for oral hearings.

 Matters to be covered during the first section of the inquiry include Eljamel’s career and the processes leading to his appointment along with document management and retention by NHS Tayside, including evidence relating to the destruction of theatre logbooks in 2025 and whether a lack of documents hindered past reviews and investigations.