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Nicky Connor, the chief executive of NHS Tayside, has issued a personal apology concerning the destruction of theatre logbooks that may be connected to the discredited neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel. Despite the controversy surrounding the incident, Connor has made it clear that she does not intend to resign from her position. Eljamel, who served as a consultant neurosurgeon at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee from 1995 until his suspension in December 2013, is suspected of causing harm to numerous patients during his tenure.
During the Eljamel public inquiry, it was revealed that 40 theatre logbooks, covering the years 1995 to 2013, were destroyed in July 2025, even though a “do not destroy” notice had been in effect since October 2024. Connor expressed regret, acknowledging that this failure compounded the distress already experienced by affected patients. She stated, “I have met directly with patients and they have explained to me directly the impact of trauma, including the most-recent logbook incident. There is no doubt in my mind that that has eroded trust and had a significant impact on patients, for which I’m deeply sorry.”
An independent investigation into the destruction of these records concluded that the mistake resulted from deficiencies in systems and procedures rather than intentional misconduct. The inquiry also highlighted that much of the information recorded in the lost logbooks would usually be found in operation notes within patient records. However, given that many of Eljamel’s patients were informed that parts, or all, of their medical records no longer exist, this reassurance held little comfort. When asked if the loss might extend beyond typical record-keeping expectations, Connor agreed that the missing information could be critical for understanding the circumstances of patients’ surgeries.
Senior counsel to the inquiry, Jamie Dawson KC, shared that various groups of Eljamel’s former patients had called for Connor to resign in the wake of the logbooks’ destruction. Connor rejected these calls, accepting full accountability for the oversight but emphasizing that she was not personally responsible for the specific actions that led to the records being lost. She also dismissed any accusations of an NHS Tayside cover-up, insisting that the health board conducted an open and transparent investigation and publicly shared the information on their website. The public inquiry continues, with proceedings underway before Lord Weir in Edinburgh
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