Dubai hospitals suspend surgeon Yaser Jabbar over UK misconduct claims

A British surgeon accused of serious malpractice while working at a top hospital in London has been suspended by the Dubai hospital he was working for.

Clemenceau Medical Centre in Dubai Healthcare City said it took "immediate action" to suspend Yaser Jabbar following British news reports at the weekend.

The orthopaedic surgeon's treatment of more than 700 patients is under review following claims of misconduct at the renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

“CMC Hospital Dubai has been made aware of recent reports concerning allegations of misconduct and malpractice involving a physician employed at our hospital,” Dr Alya Al Mazrouei, chief executive of CMC Hospital Dubai, told The National.

“We took immediate action to suspend the physician. We are awaiting the relevant authorities’ decisions on the matter.”

The 43-year-old physician was further listed as a specialist providing services in partnership with Orthocure in the Umm Suqeim area and Medcare Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital in Al Safa.

Although listed as a visiting doctor since January, Medcare said Mr Jabbar had not taken on any patients. “Dr Yaser Jabbar was never employed by Medcare and has never consulted any patient or performed a surgery at Medcare to date,” a representative told The National.

“He was an external consultant at Orthocure, and Orthocure partnered with us for usage of surgical facilities. His licence currently stands suspended.”

Mr Jabbar was due to present at the Mena Orthopaedic Congress this week at Dubai's Conrad Hotel but has been pulled from the list of speakers.

“We are deeply shocked by the recent revelations regarding Dr Yaser Jabbar’s alleged involvement in unethical medical practices," a conference representative said.

“Upon learning about the allegations made against Dr Jabbar, the Mena Orthopaedic Congress organisers and committee collectively decided to remove Dr Jabbar’s presentation from the programme."

Mr Jabbar has made no comment on the allegations. The National sought to contact him without success.

Botched operation probe

The UK’s Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) launched an investigation into paediatric orthopaedic services at GOSH in the summer of 2022.

The review looked at the treatment of 721 patients who had contact with the surgeon to identify the level of harm inflicted on patients, the majority of whom were children.

Patient reviews began in May this year, with 13 of the 39 cases assessed so far said to have come to severe harm. A further nine of Mr Jabbar’s patients suffered low or moderate harm, while the outcome of two other cases are awaiting peer review.

In addition to the cases fully reviewed, 456 out of the 721 cases have been triaged by a senior nurse and paediatrician and have not been categorised as needing the hospital’s most urgent attention.

At GOSH, where much of Mr Jabbar’s work is under scrutiny, doctors specialise in corrective surgery for congenital deformities and illnesses.

According to a report in The Sunday Times, he was known as “the frame guy” for his work with Ilizarov frames, used to straighten and lengthen limbs. During the procedure, tension wires hold the limb in place after it is broken, widening the break slowly over the course of months to allow new bone to grow.

The report detailed how a six-year-old boy who had the operation at GOSH is one of those under investigation after his father raised concerns when the frame became loose, leaving him in agonising pain.

Other children were reportedly left with limbs of different lengths, some as much as 20cm, while at least one child has had a leg amputated. Muscle damage, nerve injuries and other permanent deformities have been highlighted in the investigation, with one child as young as four months.

As a visiting surgeon, Mr Jabbar was invited to work at several hospitals in the UAE to focus on limb reconstruction and paediatric orthopaedics. He is believed to have relocated to Dubai after his suspension from GOSH.

A representative for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children said steps are being taken to stop future failings in care. “We are taking these concerns incredibly seriously and have contacted all patients of the surgeon. A group of independent experts from other paediatric hospitals are reviewing the care of all the patients of this surgeon," they said. “We are incredibly sorry for the worry and uncertainty this review may cause them.”