Families pursue claims against Great Ormond Street

Solicitors for children treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London say they will pursue ‘significant compensation claims’ over the involvement of a surgeon.

National firm Hudgell Solicitors said it is representing the families of a ‘number of children’ treated by surgeon Yaser Jabbar. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has already opened an investigation after concerns were raised by family members and staff. Now affected families have instructed Hudgells to pursue clinical negligence claims.

Solicitor Caroline Murgatroyd, who is leading the firm’s work on the case, said the RCS review has painted a ‘very worrying picture’ of the treatment provided to children by Jabbar.

In one case a child underwent an amputation which the review panel found could possibly have been avoided with a different route of treatment. There were also references to children undergoing surgery where there was no justification and where patients received no clear benefit.

Murgatroyd said: ‘[The reviews] 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.

‘The initial findings we have seen indicates there may have been serious failures in care to many patients, over a number of years, and certainly at this stage, from the cases we have seen details on, it appears the hospital may be facing many claims for compensation.’

Claims are being pursued by families of children aged four months through to teenagers, who were treated by Jabbar between February 2018 and May 2022.

Independent medical experts are now being asked to assess all cases as claims are put together.

Allegations of mistreatment were first reported in the Sunday Times over the weekend, prompting Great Ormond Street Hospital to release a statement.

The hospital said: ‘We take the issues raised in the article incredibly seriously and know they will be worrying for patients and families. We are deeply sorry to all patients who received poor care and understand that this may have had a significant impact on their health and wellbeing.

‘In 2022 we asked the Royal College of Surgeons to review our paediatric orthopaedic service, after concerns were raised by a number of our patient families and staff. As part of this, we are carrying out a review into the care of some of our patients. We have written directly to all patients and their families whose care is being reviewed so please be assured you would have been contacted if we are looking at your care. The surgeon who is the main focus in the media coverage has not worked at GOSH since 2022.'

The BBC has reported that Jabbar has not had a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January and he is now thought to be working in Dubai.