Mother of girl operated on by disgraced surgeon says hospital ‘gaslit’ her

The mother of a young girl who was operated on by a disgraced surgeon at a famous London children’s hospital says she should never have been left in his care.

Jodie Seely tells BBC Newsnight she is considering legal action after Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), which she accuses of “gaslighting”, allowed Yasser Jabbar to operate on her daughter Alana , while complaints were made about his misbehavior.

Mr Jabbar left the hospital in 2023 after a Royal College of Surgeons investigation found he had performed “wrong” or “inappropriate” surgeries in a number of cases.

A spokesperson for GOSH said it understood why “Alana and her family are concerned”, adding, “We are sorry they feel the information was withheld from them”.

Mr Jabbar operated on Jodie’s daughter in 2022, when she was eight, to fit metal plates in her knees to lengthen and straighten the legs.

He was a leading surgeon at the renowned hospital, operating on children with complex disorders and performing procedures like Alana’s.

The hospital has since commissioned independent reports of each of its 723 patients, to conclude what level of harm they have suffered.

Some cases involving them resulted in damages including life-threatening injuries and dismemberment.

Jodie, from Essex, told the BBC’s Newsnight program that she had no idea of ​​the doctor’s reputation when her daughter Alana was referred for his care in 2021.

At the time, concerns had already been raised about Mr. Jabbar.

He said that in the family’s first consultation in March 2021, which lasted “about five minutes”, Mr Jabbar had advised invasive surgery.

“We didn’t want to rock the boat too much because he seemed to know exactly what he was doing,” he said.

“So we went with him thinking he was an orthopedic surgeon, it was Great Ormond Street (Hospital). We trusted him.”

The operation took place 10 months later, in January 2022. During that period, more professional complaints from other surgeons were raised with hospital managers.

Jodi or the other families of Mr. Jabbar’s patients were never told about this.

He said the surgery went well and that Alana’s leg was in a bandage, causing no immediate problems.

But when the bandage was removed a few weeks later, Jodi saw two scars on the inside of her baby’s leg instead of one, even though she had been told it would be just one incision.

“So alarm bells went off at that point,” she said.

As the weeks passed, Alana’s mobility, now 11, was not improving and she was complaining of frequent pain, often requiring painkillers.

Jody said she first thought: “Okay, maybe it’s not working? Maybe it wasn’t the right process and it will be removed? Or maybe it’s too early to tell?”

He said he expected regular checkups from the hospital but did not get a follow-up appointment until six months after the operation.

Alana is believed to have had plates in her knees for about two years. Jodie says she saw another surgeon at the hospital during a follow-up in July – six months after the operation – who advised she not come out.

Then, by chance, he saw Mr. Jabbar on the same trip.

Jody says he took one look and said he “needed to come out immediately” and told the family to return the next day for a more major operation.

Jody says, she told the family she was worried that Alana’s tendons might reattach to the metal plates.

“We were really nervous, we were really worried… (wondering) ‘What have we done, is he OK, is this going to cause long-term damage?'”

He returned to the hospital in August 2022 to have the plates removed.

But the family’s concerns became so great that they took Alana to a different hospital months later.

During this period his mobility decreased and other problems continued.

Jody says she was not informed there was anything wrong with Mr Jabbar’s work until February this year, more than 16 months later.

She says the hospital informed her only in a brief letter with a few details.

“It seemed like a completely normal letter… nothing to worry about,” he said.

He did not realize the extent of Mr Jabbar’s alleged misconduct until it was reported in the media.

“I didn’t realize the scale of it or what actually happened or that there were so many complaints,” he said.

And he said what was most “disturbing” was that the hospital released comments to the media at a time when it had not even informed patients and their families.

“Honestly, I just felt sick,” he said. “So obviously devastated. As a parent, obviously you want to protect your child, that’s the number one priority. And when we saw him I knew something was wrong.”

Jody says her daughter should never have been placed under the surgeon’s care and has accused the hospital of a culture of collusion and a widespread cover-up.

He told the BBC that he had heard from the hospital immediately before speaking to journalists.

She said it could be a coincidence or “he was forced to do it because he knew I was coming to talk to you today.”

“It really feels like they’re gaslighting the whole way,” he said.

Jody said she and her family are very private but she felt compelled to speak out so other victims know they are “not alone.”

“It’s really important for other people to know what’s happened and to understand if they’re being gaslighted too, that they’re not alone in all this happening,” she said.

A GOSH spokesperson said it was regrettable for all the families concerned, adding that following the Royal College of Surgeons report, it had asked external experts to review all of Mr Jabbar’s patients.

The statement continues: “They are working quickly (…) We understand why Alana and her family are concerned (…) and we have contacted them.

“We are sorry that they felt the information was hidden from them. Once concerns were raised about the surgeon’s practice in June 2022, we shared this with the General Medical Council and conducted rapid fact-finding during this period. The surgeon’s practice was limited to simple procedures (…) and always as part of a broader surgical team.

“We had to establish the facts before sharing the information with patients.

“We are now regularly updating patients about the progress of the review.

“We are aware that there were concerns in relation to specific patients in 2021 which were raised as formal incidents and fully investigated. Conclusions in each individual case and collectively to initiate further action at that time The limit was not set.”

GOSH’s actions have come under increasing criticism following Mr. Jabbar’s departure.

This year the hospital has commissioned independent reports into each of its 723 patients, to conclude what level of harm they have suffered.

But families who have received results in recent weeks Reviews were said to be misrepresentations A “whiteness” What their children experienced.

Parents told the BBC how the hospital “failed their children”, leaving them physically and mentally damaged.

The BBC has spoken to at least four families – and made indirect contact with 12 others – who say the reports do not reflect their children’s experiences or minimize their pain and suffering.

The reviews, conducted by specialist surgeons not working at GOSH, were based on patient notes provided by the hospital.

Many reports were also made without any interviews with the patients or their families.