Great Ormond Street surgeon harmed 94 children, review finds | Hospitals

Nearly 100 children were injured by a Great Ormond Street surgeon, an independent review has found.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) carried out an independent review of almost 800 patients treated by consultant orthopedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar between 2017 and 2022, who specializes in limb lengthening and reconstruction.

Of the 789 children in his care, the study concluded that 94 were particularly injured as a result of his actions, 91 of whom were operated on by Jabbar.

Announcing the results, Gosh chief executive Matthew Shaw said everyone at the hospital was “deeply sorry” for everyone affected and promised the trust had learned lessons.

“We have made significant changes both to the orthopedic department itself and throughout the hospital to minimize the risk of a situation like this happening again. Many of these changes are designed to help detect potential problems before they become a risk to patient care.

“We know this comes too late for the families affected by this issue, but we are committed to ensuring our hospital is a better, safer place for all current and future patients.” »

The report found that 36 children suffered serious injuries, such as delayed diagnosis or surgical failure, while 39 patients suffered moderate harm and 19 patients suffered minor injuries, such as receiving unnecessary general anesthesia. The study also found that 642 patients suffered no harm that could be attributed to the surgeon.

The report follows a previous review of the hospital’s pediatric orthopedics department by the Royal College of Surgeons after concerns were raised by some patients’ families as well as staff.

Some children reportedly ended up with one leg up to 20cm shorter than the other, while others suffered persistent chronic pain and one child had a limb amputated, which experts say could have been avoided.

Gosh said he had already implemented the Royal College’s recommendations, which included more training on handling complaints, better support for whistleblowers, review of all surgical patients by multidisciplinary teams and ensuring the most complex cases were discussed with the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital.

Jabbar, who now works in the UAE, no longer has a license to practice medicine in the UK.

In response to the findings, NHS England announced its own independent review, due to begin in February, which will focus on potential governance failures. A spokesperson for NHS England London said: “The issues raised in the report are deeply distressing for everyone involved. As a Services Commissioner, we have a responsibility to ensure that the NHS learns and improves when standards fall short.

“We are commissioning an independent patient safety investigation to examine how Great Ormond Street Hospital responded when potential harm was identified within the limb lengthening service. This will strengthen existing understanding of what happened in this case and ensure the NHS learns lessons to protect children, young people and their families in the future.”

Julia Reynolds, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, which represents some of the families of the children affected, said too few families had been interviewed by the review team about their cases, once again ignoring them.

“Patients have had to wait too long to learn that Gosh now recognizes the serious harm Yaser Jabbar caused to the children in his care and has not listened to patients, or even other staff, raise their concerns.

“While assurances were offered, only time will tell that Gosh understood that managers need to listen to patients who tell them they think something is wrong with the treatment they received.

“As Martha’s Law has shown all too tragically, this tendency to listen to families too late is a problem that NHS managers and staff must urgently address and address.”

She added that “families need to be involved” – instead, they are once again “treated as peripheral to the learning and remediation process”.

Georgina Wade, associate solicitor at Tees Law, said: “We are supporting a number of patients and their families who have been deeply affected by Mr Jabbar’s treatment.

“In some cases, children with already complex or life-threatening illnesses have been subjected to unnecessary and invasive procedures that have left them with lingering, and in some cases permanent, injuries. Families describe the emotional and physical consequences as devastating, as well as a complete loss of trust in a system they have relied on for years.

“Many people are still in shock from what happened and are looking for accountability, transparency and reassurance that lessons will be learned to better protect children in the future. I urge anyone affected by the investigations to contact us.”

A Royal College spokesperson said it was “extremely distressing to learn that the independent review of Great Ormond Street Hospital found harm had been caused to a significant number of children”.

They added: “It is essential that we fully understand what happened so that lessons are learned and families receive the clarity and support they deserve. »

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This case is truly shocking. Our deepest sympathies go out to all the children and their families who have been injured.

“We are working with NHS England and regulators to ensure Great Ormond Street Hospital implements all safety recommendations outlined by the Royal College of Surgeons in 2023, including robust systems in place for staff and patients to raise concerns and ensure this does not happen again.

“NHS England will launch an independent investigation into the management and culture of the hospital.”