Surgeon Yaser Jabbar Botched Surgeries and Harmed Nearly 100 Children at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Independent Review Finds

An independent review into the practice of former Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar found nearly 100 children were harmed while he treated lower-limb conditions between 2017 and 2022.

“Nearly 100 children were harmed by a Great Ormond Street Hospital limb reconstruction surgeon,a review has found,external”

BBC

Multiple outlets report the review judged 94 patients harmed and around 642 not to have been harmed by his care.

BBC

The total number of cases reviewed varies across sources, with reports citing 736, 789 or earlier figures of 721.

The panel described repeated clinical failings and concluded many operations fell below expected standards, prompting apologies from GOSH and additional reviews by NHS England and the Metropolitan Police.

Jabbar is understood to be living abroad and no longer holds a UK licence to practise.

A review categorised the 94 harmed patients by severity: 36 were judged to have suffered severe harm, 39 moderate harm and 19 mild harm across a range of physical and psychological outcomes.

Reports include severe cases such as delayed diagnoses, failed surgeries, at least one later amputation, legs reportedly up to 20cm different in length, chronic pain, permanent nerve damage including drop foot, and major leg-length discrepancies.

Daily Express

Public accounts of individual children—like James Wood, whose frame pin allegedly pierced his thigh and damaged his femoral artery, and Vivaan Sharma, whose family say he was left limping after leg-lengthening surgery—feature prominently in media coverage.

A review catalogued a wide range of clinical failings in Jabbar’s practice.

“ByAIDAN RADNEDGE, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published:13:48 GMT, 29 January 2026|Updated:14:53 GMT, 29 January 2026 22 Viewcomments A Great Ormond Street Hospital orthopaedic surgeon whobotched operationsinjured almost 100 children, a report has revealed - as a victim told of being left in 'horrifying' pain”

Daily Mail

Errors included poor surgical planning, premature removal of fixation devices, and unclear or incomplete notes.

There were also incorrectly positioned implants, bone cuts at the wrong level, and intra-operative decisions that did not match scans.

Reviewers noted unstable constructs and an over-reliance on junior staff.

Independent reviewers described the overall approach as highly inconsistent and repeatedly below expected standards.

Some outlets reported infections were sometimes managed without involving the wider team.

GOSH has apologised and says it has acted on Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) recommendations, including complaints training, bolstering whistleblowing support, mandatory multidisciplinary reviews and arranging referral of complex cases to the national orthopaedic centre.

NHS England is reviewing governance and how concerns were handled.

EasternEye

Families and some staff say the hospital’s response is insufficient and accuse the trust of a 'cover‑up' or of 'marking its own homework'.

Some parents have called for a police investigation, and the Metropolitan Police says it will review the report to decide whether to investigate.

Questions remain about why earlier complaints and isolated investigations did not trigger a wider response.

“A former Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) surgeon harmed nearly 100 children, an internal review has found”

Healthcare Management Magazine

Several sources say GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital) recorded seven complaints and one serious incident between 2017 and 2022.

Healthcare Management Magazine

Those cases were investigated and closed at the time, but staff say internal warnings were raised earlier and action was not taken.

Jabbar took an unpaid sabbatical in October 2022, resigned in June 2023, has not held a UK licence to practise since January 2024, and is reported to be living abroad.