'Rapid progress' hope for Eljamel victims' review

Sam Eljamel was the head of the neurosurgery department in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee

New details of an independent clinical review for victims of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel have been released.

Eljamel left some patients with life-changing injuries while head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, before being suspended in December 2013.

The clinical review will give Eljamel's patients the opportunity to have a personalised review of their care.

A full public inquiry led by Lord Weir into Eljamel's actions will also be held.

Eljamel is now understood to be working as a surgeon in Libya.

The clinical review, which will be led by Prof Stephen Wigmore, will hold an online public event on 7 February, setting out the draft terms of reference and how the review will function.

Prof Wigmore said the review was "an important step" towards finding out what had happened to the surgeon's patients.

He said: "The independent clinical review will have a key role in examining the circumstances around the clinical care of patients through review of their cases and personal statements by expert neurosurgeons."

The professor said the review would also provide clinical evidence on behalf of patients to the public inquiry.

He added: "My team and I would like to thank the former patients of Eljamel for their forbearance while we were setting up this complex process.

"We very much hope that the independent clinical review can now make rapid progress."