Families criticise redacted report into disgraced surgeon

Lawyers representing children who developed long-term pain and injury after operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital have criticised a heavily redacted report carried out for the trust.

More than 700 cases linked to the surgeon Yaser Jabbar are being reviewed including some involving leg lengthening and straightening.

Some of the cases which so far have been investigated were found to have resulted in harm, lifelong injury and even amputation.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) commissioned a report by the Royal College of Surgeons which was handed in a year ago. But it has only been released this week to some of the families.

The report – seen by the BBC – said there were serious concerns in relation to working culture, with some staff upset about the standard of care and saying the environment was “toxic” and that some surgery done on children was “inappropriate” and “incorrect”.

Georgina Wade, from Tees Law, said families were hoping that GOSH would be “open, transparent, and candid”.

“The report is sadly heavily redacted and does not go far enough to providing the answers the families need to understand what has happened to their children.”

She called for the unredacted report to be published.

Dean, whose daughter Bunty was operated on multiple times by Mr Jabbar at Great Ormond Street until her lower leg was eventually amputated, says: “I’ve been begging and fighting for information from GOSH for three and a half years.

“The redacted report is just another disappointment and example of the secrecy that envelopes this situation.”

Sammy, the mother of another child who was operated on by Mr Jabbar, said she was angry: “I feel frustrated that we have not been provided with the full report – George deserves answers, and it feels like we are being kept in the dark, and information is being withheld from the families.

“I also was shocked to read of some of the behaviours that were documented in the report; had I known this was going on in the background I would never have allowed George to be treated there.”

The report highlights a number of issues in the complex lower-limb reconstruction unit at GOSH, including “a lack of a cohesive, united and functional team and department” compounded “by a lack of direction and effective management and leadership”.

Staff in operating theatres did not always feel confident to raise questions or issues over important elements of patient care with surgeons.

The GOSH Trust “had not been delivering a safe service for patients”, the review team added.

A spokesperson for GOSH says the hospital is “deeply sorry to all the families impacted by the review into our Paediatric Orthopaedic service”, adding: “We remain completely committed to addressing all the concerns raised in the review and will invite the [Royal College of Surgeons] back to review our progress next year.”

In response to family concerns about redactions in the report the spokesperson added: “GOSH tried to share as much information as possible but we are legally obliged to remove any information from the report that identifies individuals or shares personal data. Where this has been done, and where possible to do so, we have explained the nature of the information that has been redacted to help provide context and meaning.”

The BBC approached the Royal College of Surgeons for comment.

BBC News has also learned that Mr Jabbar worked at four other London hospitals including three in the private sector – St John and St Elizabeth, the Cromwell and the Portland.

St John and St Elizabeth Hospital said there had been three adult inpatient procedures there between October 2020 and January 2023, when Mr Jabbar had had practising privileges there, but no concerns had been raised about his practice.

“Alongside several other providers, we are working closely with Great Ormond Street Hospital to assist them in their review,” the hospital said.

Cromwell Hospital said Mr Jabbar had operated on 12 adults and six children, during the short time he worked there.

“We received no complaints about Mr Jabbar’s treatment,” it said.

“Since the concerns around Mr Jabbar came to light, we have proactively contacted all patients directly and are continuing to stay in close contact while this investigation proceeds.”

The hospital was committed to the highest standards of care, it added.

He also worked at the Portland hospital and at an NHS trust, the Chelsea and Westminster.