'Mum, it hurts': Girl, 11, forced to use wheelchair after treatment from 'rogue' surgeon accused of 'inappropriate' operations

13 September 2024, 19:54 | Updated: 13 September 2024, 20:28

An 11-year-old girl treated by a surgeon accused of conducting "inappropriate and unnecessary" operations was forced to use a wheelchair for nearly two years after surgery, her mother has said.

A probe has been launched into Great Ormond Street after 721 children were treated by "rogue" surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar.

He is alleged to have caused "serious harm" through "unacceptable" treatment, according to a lawyer acting for families of some of the young patients.

Claire Osborne, whose daughter Ella needed a wheelchair after undergoing surgery on her leg by Dr Jabber in 2020, has called on a 2023 expert report by the Royal College of Surgeons to be made public.

Discussing her daughter's surgery, Ms Osborne told Sky News: "She just kept saying to me all the time, 'Mum, it hurts, it hurts'. And the way she was walking was so strange. It was like her knees were overlapping and they were clicking for every step she took.

"At one point she would do 10 miles on the bike and it got to the point where she couldn't even walk around a supermarket with me.

"Ella was just so miserable. She was in pain. You can feel it as a parent - you know how a child is normally and you know when there's something wrong."

Ms Osborne says she consistently raised concerns about her daughter's recovery, with Dr Jabbar telling her in a follow-up appointment: "If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried."

Now, Ms Osborne is calling for a 2023 Royal College of Surgeons review - conducted before the review in which Ella's initial operation was one of 721 cases examined - to be made public.

"Without knowing facts, without knowing what, why, where, when you're still kind of in limbo. Because this report's out there. You know, it says things, but you don't know what," she said.

"It's frustrating because obviously if the hospital had known that things were going on prior to Ella being treated, maybe Ella could have been saved.

"Without knowing what the hospital knew from the report, we'll never know."

It comes as Duabi's CMC Hospital - where Dr Jabbar has recently worked - confirmed it had suspended the surgeon.

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) was asked to review its paediatric orthopaedic service following accusations about Yaser Jabbar.

Of 39 cases reviewed so far, 15 patients have come to no harm, nine have suffered "low to moderate harm" and 13 have come to "severe harm" - that is likely to include lifelong injuries, the hospital said.

All 721 patients or their families have been contacted as part of the review, which is expected to take 18 months to complete, Great Ormond Street said.

In one case, a child underwent an amputation which could possibly have been avoided with a different route of treatment, the review panel found.

Some children suffered leg length discrepancies following operations, which will require years of further treatment.

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A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children said: "We know that the patients and families affected will be extremely distressed by the issues raised by the review we commissioned into our orthopedic service.

"This is not what they should expect from any service at our hospital. To all of them we wish to say we are deeply sorry.

"As we complete case reviews, the outcomes of these will be shared with the patient and their family, regardless of whether harm has been found or not.

"As we have said previously, we will share a summary of the report in our public board, but we will be sharing it first with our families."

Mr Jabbar, who no longer works at the London hospital, is reported to be an expert in limb reconstruction but has not had a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January 8, according to the General Medical Council's (GMC) website.

Earlier this year, Great Ormond Street Hospital wrote to the families of all children treated by Mr Jabbar, and apologised for any "worry and uncertainty" the letters about the care provided by him may have caused.

It could now face multiple claims for compensation.

The hospital trust said the RCS was asked to review its paediatric orthopaedic service following concerns raised by family members and staff.

The RCS then raised concerns about Mr Jabbar, which the trust said are being taken "incredibly seriously" and will now be reviewed by independent experts from other paediatric hospitals.

The GMC's website indicates the orthopaedic surgeon was made the subject of certain conditions on January 4 - which included having a clinical supervisor at all times and seeking approval from the GMC before beginning work in a non-NHS post or setting.

Caroline Murgatroyd, of Hudgell Solicitors, which represents some former patients, said initial findings by the RCS "paint a very worrying picture of the treatment provided to children by Mr Jabbar".

"They outline unacceptable assessments, examinations, clinical decision-making, and treatments of patients, poor communication with families with regards to seeking their consent for treatments and procedures, as well as failures to make it clear what kind of complications children could face after undergoing surgery," she continued.

"There are also references to children being subjected to surgeries which the RCS review panel could see no justification for, with children undergoing procedures which brought them no clear benefit.

"The findings so far have been shocking to read and have been very upsetting for our clients.

"In one particular case a child underwent an amputation after having been put through a series of procedures. In this case the review panel found the amputation could possibly have been avoided with a different route of treatment.

"Children have suffered leg length discrepancies following inappropriate and unnecessary surgeries which will require further and prolonged treatment, and nerve injuries causing ongoing pain.

"There is also a lack of documentation over the decision-making process, or about discussing cases with consultant colleagues or the families of children themselves.

"From the cases we have seen details on, it appears the hospital may be facing many claims for compensation."