Nearly 100 Children Harmed by Great Ormond Street Hospital Surgeon

A major investigation has found that nearly 100 children were harmed by a former Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) limb reconstruction surgeon, Yasser Jabbar, revealing widespread failings in surgical practice and patient safety.

Jabbar worked at the world‑renowned London children’s hospital between 2017 and 2022, treating 789 young patients across highly specialised and high‑risk orthopaedic procedures.

Startling findings from the independent review

The review concluded that 94 children had been harmed under Jabbar’s care. Of those 94 patients, Jabbar operated on 91 patients. He specialised in limb lengthening and reconstruction for children with complex cases.

The treatments he provided, which included inserting metal plates, bone grafts and implants, are considered high-risk, and some level of complications are to be expected.

GOSH said it could not determine whether all the cases of harm were avoidable, but Jabbar’s practice was substandard in many areas, and this had undoubtedly caused harm.

They concluded that 36 patients were severely harmed, 39 patients moderately harmed, and 19 patients mildly harmed.

These numbers represent one of the most serious findings of clinical failure in the hospital’s history.

Investigators found:

These failures were described as “unacceptable practice” that undoubtedly caused harm, even when accounting for the naturally high‑risk nature of limb‑lengthening and reconstruction surgeries.

Children left in pain, disabled, or facing life‑changing consequences

Several families had previously spoken out about the devastating impact of Jabbar’s surgical decisions.

Bunty’s story

One young girl, Bunty, suffering from a rare bone disease, underwent multiple procedures under Jabbar. After repeated surgical failures, she eventually had to have her lower left leg amputated. This outcome was classed as “moderate harm” by GOSH’s report.

Her father described the findings as “too little, too late”, emphasising that these issues should have been identified and addressed far earlier.

Tate’s story

Another family discovered that Jabbar performed an unconsented ankle surgery on their son, Tate, who was originally scheduled for knee treatment. Tate has since been living in constant pain, was forced to leave college, and now faces further surgical intervention. Their case was also categorised as moderate harm by the GOSH Report.

Missed warnings and lost opportunities

Although concerns were raised by staff as early as 2021, internal systems failed to detect or escalate the seriousness of the issues. Prior to the 2022 whistleblowing that triggered the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) review, GOSH had logged seven complaints and one serious incident involving Jabbar.

The hospital concluded at the time that none of these indicated wider concerns.

Staff speaking to reviewers described the working environment within the service as “toxic”, with some procedures labelled “inappropriate” or “incorrect”.

Hospital leadership responds: “the bleakest day”

GOSH Chief Executive Matthew Shaw called the publication of the findings the “bleakest day” in the hospital’s history, issuing a deeply apologetic statement to affected families. He insisted that the hospital acted swiftly once concerns were formally raised, but acknowledged that trust had been badly damaged.

The hospital has since:

Comment

The findings in the GOSH report paint a disturbing picture of sustained clinical failings, inadequate internal controls, and delayed action within one of the UK’s most esteemed hospitals. Families remain devastated, demanding both answers and accountability.

While surgical complications in this field can be expected, the harm caused in these cases was avoidable, widespread, and rooted in substandard practice.

The question remains firmly on how this could happen and how to ensure it never happens again.