Victims of disgraced NHS Tayside neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel say they’re furious after the scale of complaints against the doctor before 2013 were described as “limited”.
Six patients had raised the alarm over the rogue Dundee doctor’s conduct in the two years before his butchery was finally exposed.
Concerns were raised to the General Medical Council, a leading watchdog, as early as 2001.
And NHS whistleblowers previously claimed Tayside bosses were aware of fears over Eljamel’s conduct by 2009.
In a meeting between Scottish Government and health board officials in July 2023, it was argued knowledge of his misconduct was minimal before action was taken to stop him.
Documents obtained by The Courier show Pamela Johnston, NHS Tayside’s former executive medical director, said: “Review of Prof Eljamel noted that until 2013, there were limited complaints about his practices.”
Eljamel patient Pat Kelly, a former Dundee DJ harmed by the surgeon, branded the claims “condescending”.
He told The Courier: “Some consultant neurosurgeons don’t even get that number of complaints in their lifetime, how can they be so dimissive?
“It’s condescending to patients like me who have been harmed.”
He added: “They dismissed our complaints originally. We were treated as if this was nothing.”
Timeline of complaints
NHS Tayside initially insisted no complaints had been made against Eljamel prior to 2013.
It later transpired three patients raised the alarm in 2011, while another three then shared concerns the following year.
Eight complaints would be made about Eljamel in 2013 as fears over his behaviour escalated.
That summer the shamed neurosurgeon was placed under “supervision”.
It was later revealed that he was never actually directed monitored in the operating theatre.
Eljamel was then suspended in December 2013.
Now more than 200 patients say the doctor harmed then during his time at NHS Tayside between 1995 and 2013.
New documents obtained by The Courier state Eljamel operated on a total of 4,000 patients during his 18 years in Dundee.
A public inquiry was ordered by the Scottish Government into the medical scandal last year.
A separate clinical review is also being held into his victims’ cases.
An NHS Tayside spokesperson said: “NHS Tayside’s chief executive and medical director commissioned a due diligence review into former neurosurgeon Professor Eljamel, which was published on August 31, 2023.
“The review identified that the bulk of complaints held by NHS Tayside – 84 – were received after Professor Eljamel was suspended in December 2013.”
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