Transparency and Accountability Needed: Families Still Waiting for Crucial RCS Report on Yaser Jabbar’s Surgeries

As legal representatives of families affected by the surgeries performed by Yaser Jabbar, we continue to express our deep disappointment in the handling of the report conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS). The report, which was leaked to The Sunday Times earlier this month, concluded that many children underwent “incorrect” and “unsuitable” surgeries at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), leaving them with life-altering injuries and severe, long-term harm.

While the RCS report has provided some insight into the shocking outcomes of Mr. Jabbar’s surgical practices, we are gravely concerned that families still have no access to the findings that directly impact them. It is particularly disappointing given the public statements made by GOSH, especially after The Sunday Times revealed its possession of the report. On September 15, Shaun Lintern, health correspondent at The Sunday Times, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that, following representations, the trust had committed to providing all 721 affected families with the report by September 27.

Unfulfilled Promises Leave Families in Limbo

Despite this commitment, the promised transparency has failed to materialize. Our clients have not received any communication from GOSH, and, as of today, they remain in the dark about how and when they will be given access to the report. Families have been left “gutted” by this delay, feeling misled after being assured the report would soon be in their hands.

On Thursday evening, GOSH said, “The Trust continues to share the reviews of individual patients’ cases with families as they are completed. The report by the Royal College of Surgeons looks at the wider service – it does not contain any information about specific patients. From early next week, the Trust will be writing to all patients and families who are part of the review, to ask if and how they want to receive a copy of the service report.” While the Trust may have outlined its intentions, our families remain without answers. To date, no such communication has been received, and no clear process has been shared.

Families Deserve Answers and Clarity

The lack of transparency continues to cause undue stress and uncertainty families already grappling with the uncertainties of whether their child has come to harm as a consequence of Mr Jabbar’s treatment.

For those who have already requested access to the report, including many of our clients, it is unclear when they will receive a copy or whom they should contact to get one. GOSH has a duty of candour to be open with patients about their care, and while the Trust talks frequently about transparency, it is evident that in this case, those words have not translated into action.

It is also important to note that the report did not extend to families treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where Mr. Jabbar worked prior to GOSH. We are calling for a similar investigation to be completed for patients treated at this hospital, so that the full extent of the harm caused by this rogue surgeon can be understood, and justice can be sought for all affected families.

We urge GOSH to fulfil its obligations, to act with the transparency it professes, and to immediately release the report to all families who want access. Only then can these families begin to understand the true scale of what happened and move forward with the accountability they deserve.