CHILD patients at Great Ormond Street suffered botched and unnecessary operations by a ‘rogue’ doctor, leaving them with lifelong injuries, it is claimed.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar is under investigation due to safety concerns about limblenthening procedures he allegedly conducted at the children’s hospital in London.
The concerns relate to limb reconstruction, a type of surgery that involves use of a clinical device known as an Ilizarov frame.
This frame is a metal apparatus invented by a Soviet physician, which is pinned to a child’s leg with screws then gradually stretched to lengthen their bones.
GOSH has begun an urgent review of 721 children seen by Jabbar in its orthopaedic department.
The probe is being conducted by five expert surgeons and is expected to take another 18 months.
Of the 37 cases already reviewed, 22 children have been found to have come to some degree of harm, with 13 classed as “severe harm” and likely to include lifelong injuries.
At least one child had a leg amputated due to complications following an op by Jabbar, it claims.
Another is facing possible amputation if their leg cannot be saved.
One victim was just four months old at the time of surgery.
Others have been left with legs at different lengths, by as much as 20cm, while some are living with chronic pain years later.
Some patients have been left with permanent deformities.
Jabbar no longer works at the hospital, having stepped down last September after an 11-month sabbatical.
Records show he gave up his licence to practise medicine in the UK on January 8.
This was just four days after a series of conditions were placed on him by the General Medical Council (GMC), the doctors’ regulator, including requiring him to have a clinical supervisor at all times.
A GMC investigation is continuing.
A confidential probe by the Royal College of Surgeons compiled a damning 100-page report on Jabbar’s practice and the wider department. It was completed in October but not made public.
It was, however, seen by The Sunday Times, which reports the paper is highly critical of GOSH, its wider culture and labels the department in question as “dysfunctional”.
It warned the lower limb reconstruction service was not “safe for patients or adequate to meet demand” – and reveals managers allegedly failed to act on whistleblowers’ concerns about the surgeon.
The hospital trust told the newspaper it is “vital” that trusts undertake such reviews “when underperformance is suspected” as it “ensures a culture of continuous improvement”.
It also acknowledged concerns about its wider cultural issues.
Its statement said: “It is vital that trusts undertake these kinds of reviews when underperformance is suspected. This ensures a culture of continuous improvement.”
On its wider cultural issues, the trust said it acknowledged the concerns and said: “Like any hospitals we will have difficulties in relation to culture and practice and we are completely committed to improving these.
“We accept where there are failings. We are working on ensuring people feel freer to speak out, but there is more work to do.
“We commission reviews such as this when culture and performance are not of the expected standard, and we will follow the gold standard and learn from their findings.”
Jabber worked at the hospital between June 2017 and October 2022, according to a LinkedIn profile.
He is understood to be now listed as working in Dubai.
Jabbar declined to comment when approached by The Sunday Times, saying he would instead give an account to “the relevant authorities at their request”.
The Sun has approached Jabbar and GOSH Trust for comment.
