Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, England, has launched an urgent review of 721 cases involving former orthopedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar, who faces allegations of performing unnecessary and harmful leg surgeries on children. The review, initiated after concerns were raised by families and staff, has already revealed that 22 children suffered harm, with 13 experiencing severe harm, including one who required an amputation.

Jabbar worked at GOSH from 2017 until his departure in September 2022. The hospital commissioned an external review by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) in 2022, following concerns raised by families and staff. The RCS report criticized Jabbar's conduct as "incorrect and unsuitable" and found the hospital's lower limb reconstruction service to be "not safe for patients or adequate to meet demand."

The RCS report also faulted hospital management for failing to act on concerns raised by staff about Jabbar's conduct. GOSH has apologized to affected families and is taking steps to address the concerns raised in the report. The hospital has contacted all 721 patients or their families and will maintain communication throughout the review process.

GOSH is committed to learning from every patient and being open and transparent with families when care falls below standards. The hospital has asked the RCS to review its pediatric orthopedic service, and the review will last 18 months. Five external pediatric orthopedic surgical consultants will conduct the review.

An initial review of 39 cases reveals that 22 children experienced harm, with 9 cases with low to moderate harm and 13 cases classified as severe harm with potentially life-long injuries. In addition, 456 cases have been looked at by a senior nurse and pediatrician and have not been categorized as needing urgent attention.

GOSH accepted the RCS report's findings and is taking steps to act on all recommendations. The hospital's lower limb reconstruction service was found to be dysfunctional, and the orthopedic department was criticized for being inadequate. GOSH did not provide full details of the RCS report but accepted its findings and is taking steps to address concerns. Jabbar, who is no longer licensed to practice medicine in the UK, is reportedly working in Dubai.

The hospital's apology and commitment to learning from mistakes aim to rebuild trust with affected families and ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Vaishnavi Dalvi/MSM)