Great Ormond Street Hospital launches investigation into cases of more than 700 patients
NHS hospital reviews care of over 700 patients after inquiry found orthopaedic doctor caused lifelong damage.
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is reviewing the care of 721 patients following an investigation that found children treated by one of its surgeons suffered “severe harm” during limb reconstruction procedures.
The patients were under the care of Yaser Jabbar, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who worked in the hospital’s lower limb reconstruction service from 2017 until his resignation in September of last year.
Great Ormond Street Hospital stated that it has contacted all 721 patients or their families on multiple occasions and will continue to do so throughout the review process. This review, which began in May, is expected to last 18 months and will be conducted by five external paediatric orthopaedic surgical consultants, according to GOSH.
An initial review of the care provided to 39 of the 721 patients revealed that 22 children experienced harm. Of these, nine cases were classified as having suffered “low/moderate” harm, while 13 were categorized as “severe harm,” with the potential for life-long injuries.
In one case, reported by the Sunday Times, leg-straightening and lengthening surgery performed by Mr. Jabbar on a six-year-old boy was deemed “incorrect and unsuitable.”
The boy’s parents told the newspaper that they “feared something was wrong” following the procedure. However, when they raised their concerns with Mr. Jabbar, he was described as being “very dismissive.” After consulting with other specialists, it was determined that the frame used for the lengthening was the incorrect type. {Source Sunday Times}.
Mr. Jabbar, who graduated from St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, was registered with a license to practice until January of this year, according to the General Medical Council website. The medical register indicates that Mr. Jabbar has not held a license to practice medicine in the UK since January 8th. He is currently listed as working in Dubai.
Carla Duprey Solicitor in our medical negligence department says;
"Whilst it is to be welcomed that GOSH are now carrying out a thorough review of the treatment provided by Mr. Jabbar, it appears that it has taken a number of years for this to happen, and has been as a result of a number of patient’s families persistence in raising concerns. The patients and their families will no doubt be worried about the review (with some not previously knowing that there was anything potentially wrong with their treatment) and will currently have a lot of unanswered questions. I just hope that the review process is completed as soon as possible and that any patient that has been affected by Mr. Jabbar’s actions are able to obtain swift compensation settlements for their injuries. Compensation never undoes the harm that has been caused, but it will help patients to obtain the appropriate care and treatment they may need in the future."
What can parents do if they feel their child has been impacted?
Parents who fear their child or children have been affected by this may want to consider the following:
- Speaking with your child’s current treating doctor, to discuss any concerns
- Contacting Charities, such as AvMA, for guidance and support
- Contacting a specialist clinical negligence solicitor, if you still have unanswered questions about your child’s treatment
Contacting a specialist solicitor
While some parents are aware now that their child or children have suffered injury, some parents may well think their child’s treatment has been fine only to find out later on in life that things haven’t gone as they ought to. Should you be concerned with your child’s treatment please contact us. Call us free on 0800 234 3234 and a member of our expert team will take you through the next steps.
We’re here to help
At Been Let Down, we are here to support patients who have suffered due to medical negligence. Our commitment is to ensure that justice is served and those affected receive the support and compensation they deserve.