Victims of disgraced NHS Tayside surgeon Sam Eljamel met the team leading the public inquiry for the first time on Monday – and shared concerns over a key topic missing from the probe.
One of the leading campaigners, Pat Kelly, worries that leading UK medical regulators will not get full attention if the scope is too narrow and focused on Scottish agencies.
“It goes UK-wide,” Mr Kelly told The Courier after the landmark meeting in Dundee.
“You can’t just dismiss patient safety, because that’s where regulation is.”
He gave his reaction after the session with inquiry chair Lord Robert Weir and senior counsel Jamie Dawson KC at the Apex City Quay Hotel.
The inquiry’s draft blueprint says it will probe the role of national health agencies in Scotland in the scandal.
But speaking to patients, Mr Dawson said the probe will be more limited when it comes to putting UK-wide regulators under the microscope.
That is a major worry for ex-Dundee DJ Mr Kelly, who wants to see the General Medical Council (GMC) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated.
“When I heard about the GMC and the HSE, my heart sort of sank,” he added.
“We must get them investigated.
“These are the two biggies that are missing.”
The GMC is the independent regulator of doctors working in the UK and maintains a record of practicing medics.
It declined to investigate Eljamel further when he voluntarily removed himself from its register in 2015.
The HSE is the UK-wide watchdog for workplace safety.
A whistleblower from the organisation previously claimed the regulator had failed Eljamel’s victims by refusing to investigate.
More broadly, campaigners were positive about meeting Lord Weir’s team.
‘Excellent’
“I thought Lord Weir was excellent,” Mr Kelly said.
Patients were repeatedly reassured their horrific ordeals will be at the heart of the inquiry.
Lord Weir stressed the inquiry’s full independence and said his team will not shy away from asking difficult questions of powerful public bodies.
He said the inquiry will also not hesitate to compel the attendance of key witnesses.
Mr Dawson said the investigation into NHS Tayside will dig closely into who was responsible for not stopping Eljamel sooner.
Campaigners have regularly expressed their frustrations at delays to the inquiry, only granted after years of relentless demands.
Lord Weir said he wants the inquiry to be concluded in as short a time as is reasonable.
‘Worn down’
“I am very conscious of the length of time you have waited,” he told patients.
“I understand you may feel frustrated and worn down.”
The inquiry intends to work closely with the separate clinical reviews into the cases of patients who were harmed by Eljamel.
Jules Rose, another leading campaigner from Kinross, said: “I understand it’s going to be a long time.
“I think four or five years is acceptable. I don’t want anything rushed. I want to make sure no stone is left unturned.”
Ms Rose said patients regarded the meeting as “positive”, but similar to Mr Kelly she left with a few concerns.
But she added: “It’s another significant step forward.
“I am extremely happy and confident with the team I met today.”
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