1/ The Eljamel scandal: The patients the system failed must not be forgotten By David Vile For years, patients harmed by former NHS Tayside neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel have fought for something that should never have required a campaign: the truth about what happened to them, why it happened, and why the systems designed to protect them failed. Their injuries are real. Their suffering is real. Yet many have spent years fighting for answers while the institutions responsible for protecting patients have faced difficult questions about their own actions and decisions. The Eljamel scandal is not simply the story of one surgeon. It is a story about clinical governance, professional oversight, institutional accountability and the consequences when systems intended to protect patients fail to do so. Above all, it is the story of patients who refused to be silenced. A career, a reputation and devastating consequences: Sam Eljamel was Head of Neurosurgery at NHS Tayside from 1995 until his suspension in December 2013. Patients trusted him with their lives, believing they were receiving the care of a highly regarded specialist. For many, the consequences have been devastating. Patients have reported unnecessary procedures, wrong-site surgery, serious complications and life-changing injuries. More than 500 former patients have registered for Independent Clinical Reviews, seeking answers about their treatment and the harm they may have suffered. These are not merely entries in a spreadsheet. Behind every case is a human being whose health, independence, family life and future may have been fundamentally changed. I know this personally. I underwent spinal surgery in 2009. I woke up with no feeling from the waist down. Sensation eventually returned to my right leg, but never to my left leg and foot. Today, I live with chronic pain, severe spasms and permanent physical disability. My spine has fused in an abnormal position, leaving me bent forward and dependent on two crutches. The consequences of that surgery are part of my everyday life. I cannot reclaim the independence or the life I had before. No inquiry can reverse physical damage. But patients deserve the truth about what happened to them, an explanation of how it happened and assurance that their suffering has not been ignored. My experience is not the same as every other patient's. But we share a fundamental question: how did this happen, and why have we had to fight so hard to establish the truth? The people who refused to give up: Two people deserve particular recognition for their determination to secure answers: Jules Rose and Pat Kelly. Jules has been at the forefront of the campaign for accountability for years. Her own experience, including the removal of her tear gland instead of the brain tumour she had been diagnosed with, illustrates the devastating consequences patients have described. She has repeatedly challenged institutions to explain what happened and why concerns about Eljamel's practice were not dealt with effectively. Pat Kelly was among the early patients to speak out and demand a public inquiry. He has continued that fight despite his own serious health challenges. His persistence is a reminder of the personal cost of a campaign that has stretched over many years. Their contribution cannot be overstated. Without the determination of Jules and Pat, alongside other patients who found the courage to speak publicly, the campaign for a public inquiry might never have reached this point. I, too, have continued to challenge those in positions of responsibility. Like other patients, I have had to scrutinise records, question official explanations and demand answers that should have been forthcoming without a prolonged public battle. – at Westmuir, Scotland

EIGHT YEARS. Only now are witness interviews underway in the Eljamel criminal investigation. Patients continue to suffer while justice remains out of reach. Some may never live to see its conclusion. @PoliceScotland and Chief Constable Jo Farrell must answer for Operation Stringent’s progress. Where is the timeline? Who is accountable for the delays? What independent scrutiny exists? What concrete steps will bring this investigation to a conclusion? Every relevant current and former @NHSTayside CEO, executive, Board member, senior manager, clinical leader, specialist registrar, theatre or ward nurse, and patient-safety or governance official must face appropriate scrutiny for their role and knowledge of events from 1995 onwards. No one should be beyond scrutiny or accountability! Around 40 theatre logbooks were destroyed despite a Do Not Destroy notice. What happened? What evidence remains? Who is accountable? Where does responsibility sit? Patients and the public deserve answers. Chief Constable Farrell, we demand more than assurances that progress is being made. We deserve a credible timeline, measurable progress, transparent accountability and a clear route to completion. Eight years is long enough. These are people’s lives, not just case files! #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #Justice #PoliceAccountability #TheyDitherWeDie – at Westmuir, Scotland

Eljamel patients are not simply witnesses in a criminal investigation. We are people whose lives, health, independence and trust in the NHS have been profoundly affected. Some have endured years of pain, repeated surgery and unanswered questions. Some are elderly or seriously ill and may never live to see the outcome. @PoliceScotland must put patients at the heart of Operation Stringent. That means treating people with dignity, compassion and respect; recognising the trauma of repeatedly recounting their experiences; providing meaningful updates; and ensuring they are not left feeling forgotten by the very systems meant to protect them. The investigation must scrutinise not only Eljamel, but every relevant current and former NHS Tayside CEO, executive, Board member, senior manager, clinical leader and patient-safety or governance official whose knowledge, decisions or failures to act may be relevant. Who knew what, when did they know it, what action did they take, and why were patients not protected? Chief Constable Jo Farrell, eight years after this investigation began in September 2018, patients and families deserve answers: • What investigative milestones have been completed? • What work remains outstanding, and why? • Have all relevant current and former NHS Tayside personnel been identified and appropriately scrutinised? • Who is accountable, and what follows if progress is inadequate or further avoidable delays occur? • What realistic timetable can you provide? When will Operation Stringent conclude? If no completion date is possible, publish measurable milestones and timescales. If Police Scotland cannot provide a credible, time-bound plan to conclude Operation Stringent, will you commission an independent review and transfer the investigation to another UK force with the specialist expertise to deliver a timely conclusion? We are not asking Police Scotland to compromise evidence or prejudice legal proceedings. We are demanding transparency, a clear plan and demonstrable progress. Chief Constable Farrell, will you publicly commit to these assurances and give patients and families a clear, evidence-based account on Operation Stringent? And that no one, past or present, will be shielded from scrutiny because of their position. A trauma-informed investigation must recognise that every delay prolongs the distress and uncertainty of people who have already suffered enormously. We deserve to be heard, respected and kept informed. Our families deserve answers, and evidence of criminal wrongdoing must be pursued. Some patients may never live to see the outcome. We must not be forgotten, sidelined or treated as an afterthought. Eight years is long enough. Justice must be more than a promise. It demands action, accountability and an end to indefinite waiting! #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #Justice

For Eljamel patients, this is about far more than data protection. It is about trust, dignity, confidentiality and an NHS organisation that must answer for its failures. As part of the @TaysideFour, Margaret Dunning, says she would not have expected whole sets of patients’ records to be sent to executives. Yet questions remain about why this happened, who authorised it, and whether access was justified. How can patients have confidence in @NHSTayside when even basic questions about the handling of their most sensitive personal information remain unanswered? “We have all been appalled about medical records being accessed inappropriately.” Then there must be accountability, consequences and demonstrable change - not just words. Patients deserve answers. They deserve protection. And they deserve an NHS that learns from its failures. I stand alongside Jules Rose, and we will not let this rest! #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #InstitutionalAmnesia #Gaslighting #AnswersNotObfuscation #Justice #TaysideFour – at Westmuir, Scotland

Jason Leitch, you claim to have spent your career improving healthcare. Show us the evidence of what you actually did at NHS Tayside while Sam Eljamel was harming patients. You were employed by NHS Tayside from 2012, and your time there overlapped with the period when serious concerns about Eljamel’s practice and patient safety were emerging. Your close association with former CEO Gerry Marr raises legitimate questions about what you knew, what you were told, and what action you took. Did you raise concerns about Eljamel? Did you challenge the leadership over supervision and oversight? Were you involved in any discussions or decisions about the concerns surrounding his practice? If you took action to protect patients, where is the evidence? We want more than general assurances or claims about a career spent improving healthcare. Publish the relevant correspondence, meeting records and documented actions that demonstrate what you knew, what you challenged, and what you did. If you played a role in improving patient safety at NHS Tayside, show us the evidence. If you did not, explain why. Eljamel’s patients are living with devastating, lifelong consequences. They deserve transparency, answers and accountability from everyone whose role may have been relevant. Eljamel’s victims deserve documented answers, not another statement about your career achievements. Accountability requires evidence. Jason Leitch, what is your evidence? #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #InstitutionalAmnesia #Gaslighting #AnswersNotObfuscation #Justice

A senior military medical appointment should withstand the closest scrutiny. So, MoD, what did you actually investigate before appointing Jason Leitch? Did your vetting examine his NHS Tayside employment during the Eljamel scandal, his close association with former CEO Gerry Marr, questions about his potential involvement in establishing the independent clinical reviews, and the deleted Covid WhatsApp messages? These are not questions that can be dismissed with a generic assurance that “appropriate due diligence” was carried out. Leitch will have significant responsibility for the health and welfare of our Armed Forces. They deserve confidence that his record was thoroughly examined before this appointment. MoD, will you disclose the scope of your checks and confirm whether these specific issues were investigated? Eljamel’s patients have experienced the devastating consequences of failures in scrutiny and accountability. The public deserves more than praise for professional credentials. It deserves evidence that the right questions were asked. #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity

Nicky Connor, Jules Rose emailed NHS Tayside on 9 October and followed up on 14 October. By 20 October, 11 days after her original email, four specific questions about information withheld or redacted from her SAR remained unanswered. Two emails. Four questions. No substantive response. Why can’t NHS Tayside provide a clear, point-by-point reply? If the redactions were lawful, explain the specific legal basis for each. NHS Tayside’s Chief Executive spoke under oath at the Eljamel Inquiry about openness and transparency. Will Nicky Connor now ensure these questions are answered, with the legal grounds for each redaction clearly identified? Transparency cannot stop when difficult questions are asked. NHS Tayside must demonstrate accountability through action, not just words under oath! #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #InstitutionalAmnesia #Gaslighting

MoD, exactly what due diligence did you carry out before appointing Jason Leitch Chief of Defence Medical? Did you examine his NHS Tayside employment, his association with Gerry Marr, and the unresolved questions surrounding the Eljamel scandal? Leitch was employed by NHS Tayside during the period when patients were being harmed by Eljamel. What did he know, what was he told, and did he raise or act on any concerns? We cannot assume what he knew. But the MoD must explain whether these issues were investigated before handing him responsibility for the health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces personnel. MoD, will you confirm whether the Eljamel scandal was specifically examined during vetting, and publish what you can about the checks and assurances obtained? Saying that “appropriate due diligence” was carried out is not a sufficient answer. Service personnel and the public deserve transparency. Eljamel’s patients deserve accountability. #Eljamel #NHSTayside #Accountability #PatientSafety #Transparency #Openness #Probity – at Westmuir, Scotland

The MoD owes the public an explanation for Jason Leitch’s appointment to a senior military medical role. This is not simply about his CV or professional qualifications. It is about judgement, accountability and public confidence. Leitch’s NHS Tayside employment overlapped with the Eljamel scandal. His association with former CEO Gerry Marr raises questions about professional relationships, scrutiny and whether the right challenges were made when patients were being harmed. Separately, questions about the handling of Covid WhatsApp messages have raised wider concerns about transparency. These issues demand proper examination before anyone is entrusted with responsibility for the health and safety of military personnel. The MoD says due diligence was carried out. What did that process actually examine? Were the Eljamel scandal, Leitch’s links to NHS Tayside leadership and the outstanding questions about transparency explicitly considered? It is not enough to say the checks were completed. The public deserves confidence that they were thorough, independent and relevant to the responsibilities of the post. For Eljamel’s victims, accountability has been painfully slow. Military personnel deserve assurance that their welfare will never be secondary to institutional relationships or reputations. The MoD must explain its due diligence. Public trust must be earned, not simply assumed. #Eljamel #NHSTayside #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #InstitutionalAmnesia #Gaslighting #AnswersNotObfuscation #Justice @DefenceHQ – at Westmuir, Scotland

Jason Leitch, the questions are specific and demand specific answers. 1. You remained an NHS Tayside employee while serving as Scotland’s National Clinical Director. 2. You had documented professional links with former NHS Tayside CEO Gerry Marr, who led the board when Sam Eljamel was placed under supervision. 3. In January 2024, concerns were raised about your potential involvement in establishing the Eljamel reviews, including the role of officials within your directorate. The Scottish Government said you were not directly involved. 4. The public deserves a full account of your NHS Tayside responsibilities, any information or updates you received about Eljamel, and any steps taken to guarantee the independence of the investigations. These are legitimate questions of transparency, not proof of personal wrongdoing. Will you publish a clear account of your role, disclose any relevant communications, and explain why patients should have confidence that every potential conflict of interest has been addressed? Eljamel’s former patients deserve answers backed by documents, not assurances. Accountability must apply to senior officials just as it applies to everyone else. #Eljamel #PatientSafety #Accountability #Transparency #Openness #Probity #InstitutionalAmnesia #Gaslighting #AnswersNotObfuscation – at Westmuir, Scotland

Private patients harmed by Eljamel are being told that MDDUS cannot agree to waive the time bar without first obtaining Eljamel’s instructions. Yet he has been uncontactable for years. How long are patients expected to remain trapped in this situation? Under Scottish law, the court has discretion to allow certain personal injury claims to proceed despite the expiry of the limitation period. However, patients face a serious barrier if they cannot secure legal representation to pursue that route MDDUS must stop leaving patients in limbo and provide clear answers. What is the precise legal basis for requiring Eljamel’s instructions, and what steps will MDDUS take to establish a workable alternative? Patients deserve a clear explanation, a practical solution and an urgent response, rather than an indefinite impasse. Private patients have already waited far too long. Their opportunity to seek justice must not be lost while organisations remain deadlocked. MDDUS, the responsibility is now on you to explain your position and help find a way forward. What action will you take, and when? #Eljamel #MDDUS #Justice #Honesty #Probity #RouteToJustice #Transparency #Openness #JusticeDelayedIsJusticeDenied – at Westmuir, Scotland