Key facts
- NHS Tayside executive medical director Dr. James Cotton stated that Dr. Sam Eljamel could have been struck off seven years before his resignation.
- Dr. Cotton said a proper risk assessment should have been conducted on Dr. Eljamel's surgical practice.
- Allegations of "wrong site" surgery were raised against Dr. Eljamel in 2007 and 2012.
- Dr. Cotton denied any cover-up regarding Dr. Eljamel's actions.
A senior doctor for NHS Tayside has stated that the health board missed an opportunity to stop disgraced brain surgeon Dr. Sam Eljamel from operating years before he resigned. Dr. James Cotton, executive medical director for NHS Tayside, told the Eljamel Inquiry that Eljamel could have been removed from practice seven years earlier than his eventual resignation.
Speaking to senior counsel Jamie Dawson KC, Dr. Cotton said that based on two core principles of decision-making – patient safety and staff safety – Eljamel should have been either supervised more stringently or removed from operating altogether. He noted that concerns had been raised about Eljamel's practice, leading to him being placed under supervision in June 2013.