Families of disgraced child surgeon hit out at ‘whitewash’

Families of children operated connected by a disgraced surgeon person labelled autarkic reports into their attraction arsenic a "whitewash" and a "final insult".

Yaser Jabbar, a erstwhile surgeon astatine London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), carried retired procedures including limb lengthening and straightening. He besides operated connected children with analyzable disorders.

But immoderate cases linked to him resulted successful harm, including life-long injuries and amputation.

Mr Jabbar near the infirmary successful 2023 aft a study by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) recovered immoderate of the country had been "inappropriate" and "incorrect".

Following the RCS report, GOSH said each of Mr Jabbar's 723 patients would person an autarkic study to reason what level of harm they had suffered.

The reviews, which are being carried retired by specializer surgeons who did not enactment astatine GOSH, are based connected diligent notes provided by the hospital.

Families person started receiving reports astir the attraction their children received. BBC News has present spoken to 4 families - and had indirect interaction with 12 much - who accidental the reports bash not bespeak their children's experiences and often rise much questions than they answer.

Many of the reports were concluded without immoderate interviews oregon enactment with the household oregon patient, they say.

Parents picture the reports arsenic portion of a "culture of cover-up", telling the BBC that GOSH has "failed their children", leaving them physically and mentally damaged.

One parent told us: "Mr Jabbar was known for not penning up records oregon keeping notes correctly, but these reviews person been based connected infirmary notes. My daughter's study doesn't bespeak her travel astatine all."

A GOSH spokesperson said the infirmary was profoundly atrocious and wanted "every diligent and household who comes to our infirmary to consciousness harmless and cared for".

"We commissioned an autarkic reappraisal of diligent care, which is successful enactment with the NHS England guidelines," they added.

Dean Stalham's daughter, Bunty, was calved with a uncommon bony illness called neurofibromatosis. Over a 15-month period, Bunty underwent a fig of operations which each failed, leaving her successful agony and taking beardown symptom alleviation for months.

In Bunty's report, the carnal interaction connected her was deemed "moderate" - but her begetter says it is "simply wrong".

"It says she had six procedures. I tin number 10," Mr Stalham says.

"Not a azygous 1 of Bunty's surgeries worked, and nary of them were of immoderate payment to her whatsoever. When they were trying to lengthen her limb they ended up shortening it by astir 8 inches."

Other parents are aggravated the reports graded their child's intelligence harm arsenic "none" oregon "mild".

"How tin it accidental she has nary intelligence harm erstwhile they haven't adjacent spoken to the child?" Claire Osborne says of her daughter, Ella.

Ella has Shwachman Diamond Syndrome II, causing her knees to crook inwards and causing terrible pain.

Ella was referred for intelligence enactment successful 2022, aft a failed cognition to realign her knees was carried retired by Mr Jabbar.

"She cried herself to slumber each night," her parent says. "She was successful a wheelchair and changeless agony for years. She has tense ticks now. She didn't person them earlier Jabbar."

When Mansur's parent Hindiya Omar archetypal met Mr Jabbar successful 2018 astatine GOSH, she says she was reassured, describing him arsenic charismatic and attentive. She felt definite her lad was successful harmless hands.

"I felt fortunate my lad was being seen by the champion successful the world," Ms Omar says. "I didn't question what was being recommended due to the fact that I trusted them entirely."

At the time, Mansur was complaining of a sore knee. After 2 operations carried retired by Mr Jabbar, Mansur suffered nervus harm resulting successful ft drop, which tin origin trouble lifting oregon moving your ft and tin impact the mode you walk.

Mansur's genu is present deformed and helium is incapable to crook it, portion his limb maturation has been stunted.

"They person destroyed his leg, helium complains of being successful agonising symptom everyday," Ms Omar says. "I can't spot anyone present – particularly not the infirmary for letting this happen."

She says the past clip she saw Mr Jabbar was successful 2022. After that, she says she was told the surgeon was away, but astatine nary signifier did the infirmary accidental Mr Jabbar was being investigated.

Ms Omar says this meant Mansur's attraction was further delayed and 3 appointments with Mr Jabbar were booked, past cancelled and rearranged.

A GOSH spokesperson says families were told successful August 2022 that Mr Jabbar was connected sabbatical leave.

A GOSH spokesperson says: "Assessing intelligence harm is, however, analyzable owed to galore factors, and truthful we volition ever sermon concerns families whitethorn person and volition bash our champion to guarantee patients get the attraction and enactment they request going forward."

In February, Ms Omar received a telephone telephone telling her that Mansur's years of symptom and life-altering surgeries were being investigated.

The autarkic reappraisal into Mansur's attraction concluded that helium suffered "moderate harm" done his attraction from Mr Jabbar.

Mansur was 5 years aged erstwhile helium archetypal saw Mr Jabbar. He is present 12 years aged and awaiting much surgery. He volition ne'er crook his knee, tin lone locomotion abbreviated distances and present uses a wheelchair.

"To accidental that a lad who has mislaid his puerility to this antheral has suffered 'moderate harm' is conscionable the last insult for me," Ms Omar says.

In a connection GOSH said: "We are profoundly atrocious to the patients of this surgeon who we person fto down", adding: "Patient information is our halfway intent and we person a scope of measures to guarantee each our services are safe."

Mr Jabbar worked astatine 4 different London hospitals, including 3 successful the backstage assemblage - St John and St Elizabeth, the Cromwell and the Portland.

St John and St Elizabeth says Mr Jabbar carried retired 3 big procedures determination betwixt October 2020 and January 2023. It said nary concerns had been raised astir his practice.

Cromwell Hospital said Mr Jabbar had operated connected 12 adults and six children erstwhile helium worked determination and it has not received complaints.

"Since the concerns astir Mr Jabbar came to light, we person proactively contacted each patients straight and are continuing to enactment successful adjacent interaction portion this probe proceeds."

The HCA group, of which the Portland is part, confirmed 43 surgeries were carried retired astatine its sites by Mr Jabbar.

He was besides an orthopaedic advisor astatine Chelsea and Westminster Hospital anterior to joining GOSH successful 2017.

The BBC has approached Mr Jabbar for comment.