At the Eljamel Inquiry, NHS Tayside medical director Dr James Cotton said Dr Sam Eljamel should have been stopped from operating earlier and that he did not understand why the surgeon had been allowed to continue. Dr Cotton said earlier action “could and should have happened” but denied a cover-up. The reports differ on whether Eljamel was later dismissed or resigned voluntarily.
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- Sep 29, 2026, 01:22 PM
Verified facts: At the Eljamel Inquiry, Dr James Cotton, NHS Tayside’s executive medical director, said he would not have allowed neurosurgeon Dr Sam Eljamel to continue operating if making the decision today. Dr Cotton described the supervision arrangements introduced in June 2013 as inadequate because they involved weekly patient discussions but did not directly supervise the surgeon’s practice. He said a risk assessment should have considered one-to-one supervision, suspension or stopping Dr Eljamel from operating. Asked whether earlier complaints and other allegations should have resulted in Dr Eljamel being struck off sooner, Dr Cotton said: “It could and should have happened, yes.” He also denied that there had been a cover-up. The inquiry, before Lord Weir, is continuing. These points were reported by Press Association Scotland from the inquiry.
