This article covers everything you need to know about the Yaser Jabbar case – from what happened and its ethical implications to sample interview questions and model answers.
Use this guide to understand the key issues and build strong responses for your UK medical school interviews.
Yaser Jabbar Case Summary: Key Points for Medical Interviews
Yaser Jabbar at GOSH: Jabbar was a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) from 2017 to 2022, specialising in complex lower limb surgeries.
Concerns Raised: In 2022, a Royal College of Surgeons review identified Jabbar’s involvement in unnecessary surgeries, including limb lengthening surgeries.
GMC Restrictions: The GMC restricted Jabbar’s licence to practice medicine, requiring close supervision
Case Review Findings: An independent clinical review found that a number of children experienced preventable harm under Mr Jabbar's care. GOSH has accepted that harm occurred, and a number of affected families are pursuing clinical-negligence claims.
GOSH’s Response: GOSH issued a public apology, pledged greater transparency, and extended the patient review to four more hospitals.
Final Review Findings (January 2026): The independent review concluded that 94 children were harmed out of the 789 patients reviewed. Of these, 36 children suffered severe harm, including unnecessary amputations and permanent deformities. The report found "widespread evidence of unacceptable practice" and criticised a "toxic" working culture at the hospital.
Key Figures From The Final Independent Report Into Yaser Jabbar
Key Figures from the 2026 Report:
Total Patients Reviewed: 789
Total Children Harmed: 94
Severe Harm Cases: 36
Moderate/Mild Harm: 58 (39 moderate, 19 mild)
Harm Rate: >25% of patients operated on suffered harm.
Who is Yaser Jabbar?
Yaser Jabbar was a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon who worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London from 2017 – 2022, specialising in lower limb surgeries for children, including limb lengthening and complex reconstructions.
Yaser Jabbar became the subject of significant controversy after staff and families raised concerns over his treatment practices.
The Royal College of Surgeons conducted an external review of more than 700 patients treated by Yaser Jabbar, uncovering numerous cases where children experienced avoidable harm under his care, signifying a severe compromise of patient safety.
The GMC imposed restrictions on Yaser Jabbar following the review, mandating that he work under supervision if he returns to clinical practice. Yaser Jabbar is no longer employed by the hospital and is understood to be residing outside of the UK, believed to be in Dubai. He no longer holds a licence to practise medicine in the UK.
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Find below a timeline of the events in the Yaser Jabbar case.
These are the key facts you need to know about the Yaser Jabbar Case for your medicine interview this year:
2017 – Yaser Jabbar Joins Great Ormond Street Hospital
Yaser Jabbar joins GOSH as a consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, specialising in lower limb surgeries, including limb lengthening and complex reconstructions.
2022 – Concerns over Patient Safety raised by Families and Staff
In 2022, concerns surrounding Yaser Jabber’s conduct were raised with senior managers at GOSH, with no records of reported concerns before this.
January 2023 – Royal College of Surgeons Conducts Initial review
A report into Jabber’s conduct was commissioned within 18 days of senior management at GOSH becoming aware of patient safety concerns.
The RCS found evidence suggesting numerous unnecessary surgical procedures carried out on children treated by Mr Jabber, many of whom faced harmful complications.
January 4th, 2023 – GMC Imposes Restrictions on Yaser Jabbar
Following the findings of the RCS report, the GMC instates conditions on Jabbar’s medical licence, preventing him from practising without strict supervision.
Additionally, the GMC mandated that he seek approval before taking any non-NHS posts, in a move to ensure patient safety moving forward.
September 2024 - Review Finds Harm in 26 of 39 Cases Investigated
The Metropolitan Police have said they are considering the review's findings to determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted; as reported, no criminal charges have been brought. Separately, the head of the orthopaedic department at GOSH stepped down from her leadership role in response to the review.
Out of 39 Cases assessed, it was found that 13 children experienced mild or moderate harm, while another 13 children experienced ‘severe harm’, with potentially life-threatening injuries.
No criminal charges have been brought against Mr Jabbar. Whether the harm identified could amount to any criminal offence would be a matter for the police and prosecutors, and the position has been reported as ongoing.
October 2024 – GOSH Expands Review to 721 cases
Within the following month, GOSH expanded the review to cover all 721 cases that Jabbar handled as a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon.
November 2024 – Public Apology and Patient Outreach
Great Ormond Street Hospital made a public statement conveying ‘sincere apologies’ to all the families whose children were treated by Yaser Jabbar, offering support and assistance to those where ‘harm was identified’.
Patient outreach intended to be open and transparent with families about potential issues as well as reassure them of the hospital’s commitment to improving patient safety.
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GOSH published the final findings of the independent review, confirming that 94 children suffered harm under Jabbar's care, with over a quarter of his surgical patients affected.
The review highlighted "unacceptable" clinical practice, including operations without clear rationale and poor record-keeping. The Metropolitan Police stated they are reviewing these findings to determine if a full criminal investigation should proceed.
Orthopaedic Surgeon Yaser Jabbar: Ethical Considerations and Medical Negligence
The Yaser Jabbar case raises some key ethical issues that are essential to consider when preparing for your interview, where following the GMC’s Good Medical Practice, and being aware of your moral duty is vital.
Patient Safety and Quality of Care
One of the NHS's core principles is to provide safe, dependable care for every patient. Any violation of patient trust can have serious effects.
Numerous children reportedly experienced preventable complications following surgeries performed by Jabbar.
An example of this is a six-year-old girl with neurofibromatosis, who was operated on by Yaser Jabbar multiple times over 15 months. The review of her care found that she had sustained multiple ‘unsuccessful and painful’ procedures, leading to the amputation of her leg below the knee in 2022.
At the core of patient safety is informed decision-making. The review found a ‘pattern of poor decision-making’ and a fundamental failure to discuss and inform parents about the risks and benefits of various treatment options.
Such cases undermine healthcare trust and emphasise the critical need for diligent, evidence-based decision-making in paediatric care.
Institutional Oversight and Responsibility
Another ethical concern is the hospital's role in overseeing its staff and ensuring safe practices.
The delayed recognition of issues in Jabbar’s practice, despite complaints from families and staff, points to potential gaps in institutional oversight.
Effective checks and an open and safe environment to report concerns are necessary to uphold ethical standards and prevent harm to patients in the future.
Public Trust and Professional Integrity
This case also raises broader ethical issues surrounding public trust in healthcare institutions.
High-profile cases can damage public confidence in medical professionals and healthcare systems, particularly involving vulnerable populations like children.
GOSH responded by apologising for the harmful impact that Jabbar may have had on his patients and offered support and legal counselling for those affected.
👉🏻 Wondering how to demonstrate your knowledge of medical ethics in your UK Medical School Interviews? Check out this article to understand more about how to structure your answer
Yaser Jabbar: Comparing Previous NHS Medical Scandals
Numerous healthcare scandals in the past share similarities with the Yaser Jabbar case. These may be useful to reference in your UK medical school interviews, as they demonstrate a breadth of knowledge about NHS scandals.
Yaser Jabbar case vs. Ian Paterson case:
The Ian Paterson case, involving a UK surgeon who performed unnecessary 'lumpectomy' surgeries from 1994 to 2009, shares notable parallels with the Yaser Jabbar case.
Here’s how both cases raise similar ethical concerns:
Breach of Patient Trust: Both Jabbar and Paterson performed surgeries later deemed unnecessary, undermining patients' trust in their surgeons and the healthcare system.
Lack of Informed Consent: In both cases, patients were not fully informed about the risks or necessity of the procedures, violating ethical standards around consent.
Severe Patient Harm: The unnecessary surgeries resulted in long-lasting, sometimes life-altering harm, with patients facing severe complications and preventable suffering.
Impact on Public Trust: Both cases have significantly impacted public confidence in the medical profession, leading to calls for greater NHS oversight and transparency.
Model interview question: How does the Yaser Jabbar case illustrate the importance of ethical principles such as patient safety and informed consent? A strong answer notes that the independent review found unnecessary surgeries which led to preventable harm, engaging the principle of non-maleficence (the duty to avoid causing harm) and the importance of informed consent, as families have said they were not adequately told about the risks.
Additionally, the case raises issues around patient autonomy, as families were not adequately informed about potential risks and benefits, limiting their ability to make fully informed decisions. Cases like this highlight the vital need for transparency and accountability within healthcare to maintain public trust and uphold high standards of ethical practice. 👉🏻 Read more: Answering Medical Ethics Questions
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Here are some practice medical school interview questions relating to the Yaser Jabbar case and medical misconduct. In your answers consider how the question relates to medical ethics and patient trust.
It is unlikely you will be asked directly about this case, but utilising some of the learning from it can help you answer other more general interview questions about the NHS/Issues with some great detail!
What do you know about the Yaser Jabbar case?
What are the ethical implications of performing unnecessary surgeries on patients, as seen in the Yaser Jabbar case?
How would you ensure patient safety and trust if you were aware of questionable practices in your medical team?
What steps can healthcare institutions take to prevent cases similar to Yaser Jabbar’s from happening again?
What is the duty of candour?
What should doctors do when mistakes happen?
How would you deal with a junior doctor making a mistake in your team?
Negligence Claims, Investigations and Accountability
The independent clinical review at Great Ormond Street Hospital concluded that 94 children were harmed under Yaser Jabbar's care, with around a quarter of his surgical patients affected and 36 children judged to have suffered severe harm. GOSH recalled and reviewed his patients, issued a public apology and accepted that the harm occurred in its hospital.
A number of affected families are now pursuing clinical-negligence claims, and the hospital is reported to be working with solicitors towards admissions of liability. Mr Jabbar gave up his licence to practise in the UK, and aspects of the case have been reported to be under review by the police and other bodies, though the position remains ongoing.
For interviews, use this to show how the NHS responds to serious harm. The professional duty of candour requires staff to:
Be open and honest with patients and families when something goes wrong
Offer an apology and a clear explanation of what happened
Set out what is being done to put things right and prevent recurrence
Accountability also runs through clinical governance, which gives trusts oversight of individual surgeons through audit, supervision and the handling of raised concerns. The General Medical Council can investigate a doctor's fitness to practise and impose conditions, suspension or removal from the register.
Where patients are harmed, clinical-negligence claims and NHS compensation provide a route to redress. A strong answer focuses on systems, learning and rebuilding trust rather than on individual blame or distressing detail.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Who is Yaser Jabbar and what happened in his case?
Yaser Jabbar was a consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) from 2017 to 2022, specialising in lower-limb surgery for children. After families and staff raised concerns, an independent review found that many children came to harm under his care, including unnecessary procedures and avoidable complications. For interviews, treat it as a patient-safety and clinical-governance case rather than rehearsing every statistic.
What did the GOSH review into Yaser Jabbar find?
The final independent review, reported in January 2026, examined hundreds of patient records and concluded that a significant number of children were harmed, with several suffering severe harm such as unnecessary amputations and permanent deformity. Reviewers described poor decision-making, operations without clear rationale and weak record-keeping. In an interview, focus on the systemic failings the review identified rather than naming exact figures you cannot verify.
What ethical issues does the Yaser Jabbar case raise for a medicine interview?
The case centres on non-maleficence (avoiding harm), informed consent and patient autonomy, since families were reportedly not fully told the risks and benefits of treatment. It also raises institutional oversight, openness with patients and the duty of candour. A strong answer links these principles to GMC Good Medical Practice and explains how trust in the profession depends on safe, evidence-based, well-supervised care.
What is the duty of candour and how does it apply here?
The duty of candour is the professional and statutory obligation to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong, especially if they have suffered harm. It means telling them what happened, apologising and explaining what will be done next. In the Jabbar case, GOSH issued a public apology and contacted affected families, which interviewers may use to test whether you understand openness as an ethical duty, not just a procedure.
What is clinical governance and how could it have prevented this?
Clinical governance is the framework through which organisations stay accountable for care quality: audit, supervision, appraisal, outcome monitoring and acting on concerns. Stronger governance, such as routine review of surgical outcomes and a culture where families and staff are heard early, could have flagged problems sooner. In interviews, use it to show you understand that individual surgeons work within systems that must catch errors before patients are harmed.
What should a doctor do if they have concerns about a colleague's practice?
GMC guidance is clear that patient safety comes before loyalty to a colleague or employer. A doctor should raise concerns promptly through the proper channels, such as a clinical or educational supervisor, the responsible officer or, if needed, the GMC. The Jabbar case shows why an environment where staff feel safe to speak up matters, and interviewers may ask how you would balance collegiality with your duty to protect patients.
What action did the GMC take over Yaser Jabbar?
The General Medical Council placed restrictions on Yaser Jabbar's registration following the early review, requiring close supervision and approval before taking certain posts, and he no longer practises medicine in the UK. For an interview, the useful point is the GMC's role as the regulator that can restrict or remove a doctor's licence to protect patients, rather than the specific procedural detail.
What does the Yaser Jabbar case teach for a medical school interview?
You are unlikely to be asked about it directly, but it is a useful example for questions on NHS hot topics, patient safety, raising concerns and what doctors should do when things go wrong. Discuss it calmly and factually, focus on principles such as candour, consent and governance, and avoid sensational or speculative claims. Showing measured ethical reasoning matters more than reciting every fact of the case.
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