Jason Leitch’s defence medical appointment criticised over past oversight concerns

Professor Jason Leitch has been appointed Chief of Defence Medical at the Ministry of Defence, prompting criticism from patient campaigners over his past roles and conduct. The appointment matters because the post involves leading military healthcare, while questions remain about oversight of care at NHS Tayside and Leitch’s deletion of Covid-related messages.

Leitch is due to start on 2 November and will lead Defence Medical Command, preparing healthcare services for future military operations. Campaigner Jules Rose, who was harmed by surgeon Sam Eljamel, raised concerns about Leitch’s association with Tayside, where Eljamel is thought to have harmed as many as 200 people, and about the deletion of WhatsApp messages during the pandemic. The MOD cited Leitch’s experience in clinical leadership and health policy; Leitch said his first priority would be to listen and understand the needs of personnel and patients.