Dr Yaser Jabbar: Family say surgeon was ‘trying to save a leg that couldn’t be saved’
The father of a six-year-old girl who was operated on by former surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar multiple times over 15 months is among the first to be told she suffered harm during her care.
Dean Stalham’s daughter Bunty was born with the rare bone condition neurofibromatosis.
It means she has been in and out of hospital since she was 18 months old but was placed under the care of the former consultant orthopaedic surgeon in 2018.
During her time in Dr Jabbar’s care at Great Ormond Street Hospital, her family say she underwent multiple “unsuccessful and painful” procedures which ultimately led to her leg being amputated below the knee.
The hospital is reviewing the care of hundreds of children seen by Dr Jabbar.
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Some 700 cases are being investigated in total and a select number of families have heard back already, including Bunty’s.
The review of her care – shown to Sky News – revealed that she had suffered moderate physical and mild psychological harm.
Speaking to Sky News, her father Dean Stalham said: “He [Dr Jabbar] was trying to save a leg that couldn’t be saved.
“He took it upon himself to be the almighty saviour of the leg, as it were, and it proves that they were all unnecessary because they all failed – and what it says in the report is that there’s no benefit, not one operation was of any benefit to Bunty whatsoever.”
Mr Stalham added: “He was all smiles and success – coming in and saying I’ve lengthened her leg, it’s great, it’s longer than the other one, it was all a big major success and then out of the blue – actually no it hasn’t worked.”
Dr Jabbar no longer works at the hospital and has not had a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January.
Dean Stalham and Bunty
Bunty’s leg was eventually amputated in 2022. Her father says it should have happened sooner and saved her from prolonged pain.
“We think that she thought her leg was going to grow back, in her head, because she was told it was a healthy bone… she thought her leg was going to regrow. He sold her a dream.
“After the eventual amputation, he came out of that operation and said right I’ve left a three-inch piece of lovely, healthy bone hanging from her knee, it will mean she will have mobility. Then two weeks later, the bone’s veering off to the left.”
An external report – commissioned by Great Ormond Street – into Dr Jabbar’s practices and the wider department, is due to be sent to the families of those affected who wish to see it.
They have been told it will be redacted in places.
Caroline Murgatroyd, from Hudgell Solicitors, is representing some of them.
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“Bunty’s case has similarities to others we have seen – which is a pattern of poor decision making, failure to consider alternatives to the surgery and failure to discuss with parents the risks and benefits to different treatment options and whether any particular treatment is really in the patient’s best interest.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children said in a statement: “We wish to say we are deeply sorry to Bunty and her family, and all the families impacted by the review of care given by a Lower Limb Orthopaedic surgeon. This is not what they should expect from any service at our hospital.
“Within 18 working days of concerns being raised to senior leaders about the Lower Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Service, we asked the Royal College of Surgeons to carry out a review into our Paediatric Orthopaedic service in July 2022.
“We are now ensuring that all the findings are addressed at pace.”
Dr Jabbar has since been working in Dubai, but Sky News understands he has been suspended.
In a statement shared with Sky News, a spokesperson from CMC Hospital Dubai said: “We have been made aware of recent reports concerning allegations of misconduct and malpractice involving a physician employed at our hospital.
“We took immediate action to suspend the physician. We are awaiting the relevant authorities’ decisions on the matter.”
UK
UK calls for investigation after IDF fired warning shots as British diplomats travelled through West Bank
The UK government is calling for Israel to launch an investigation after the country’s troops fired warning shots while British diplomats were travelling through the West Bank.
Diplomats from Ireland, France, Germany and Turkey were also travelling with the delegation in the city of Jenin when the gunshots rang out on Wednesday.
All four countries have condemned the shooting, which comes after Western nations criticised Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza.
Two British diplomats are understood to be among the group of around 20 people who have been confirmed as safe following the incident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Footage shows the moment members of the delegation were gathered outside before fleeing the scene as the gunshots rang out.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer has described the incident in Jenin as “unacceptable”.
He wrote on X: “I have spoken to our diplomats who were affected. Civilians must always be protected, and diplomats allowed to do their jobs. There must be a full investigation and those responsible should be held accountable.”
Follow latest: Gaza conflict live updates
Members of the delegation flee as gunshots are fired
In response to the situation, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced measures, including financial restrictions and travel bans, targeting prominent settler leader Daniella Weiss and two other individuals.
The measures also target two illegal outposts and two organisations accused of backing violence against Palestinian communities.
It came after Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris condemned the shooting in “the strongest terms” and France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he would summon the Israeli ambassador over the incident.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign ministry said the shooting showed Israel’s “systematic disregard for international law” and called for an immediate investigation.
Germany’s foreign office had earlier condemned what it referred to as “unprovoked gunfire”, adding: “We are fortunate that nothing worse occurred.”
The Israeli military said the delegation had “deviated from the approved route” of their visit and Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers fired warning shots to push them from the area.
The IDF apologised and said it would contact all countries involved in the visit.
The shooting took place a day after the UK announced it would cease all talks of a trade deal with Israel, and summoned the country’s ambassador to make clear Britain is unhappy with the situation in Gaza.
Members of the delegation flee as gunshots are fired
Hospitals in northern Gaza encircled by IDF
Elsewhere, staff and aid groups have said that two of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals have been encircled by Israeli troops – preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
The Indonesian and al Awda hospitals are among the region’s only remaining medical facilities, with both coming under fire this week.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation, has warned Israel’s military operations and evacuation orders “are stretching the health system beyond the breaking point”.
Just 20 of the territory’s 36 hospitals remain partially functioning – with centres in northern Gaza now said to be “at a serious risk of shutting down completely”.
According to the WHO, there have been almost 700 attacks on medical facilities since the war began.
Israel’s military has accused Hamas of using hospitals as command centres and to hide fighters, but has only provided evidence for some of these claims.
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Former spy chief: PM’s stance on Israel ‘overdue’
UK unveils new aid package to Gaza
Elsewhere, UK ministers announced they will send £4m of aid to Gaza, including essential medicines, safe drinking water and food parcels.
Minister for development Jenny Chapman, who is visiting Israel and the occupied territories, said the lack of aid reaching Gazans is “appalling”.
She added: “The Israeli government’s failure to allow full humanitarian access to aid workers is abhorrent. Far too few trucks are crossing into Gaza.
“The UN has warned nearly half a million Palestinians, including children, are facing starvation.
“The UK is clear – Israel will not achieve security through prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
It comes as British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said humanitarian aid needs to get into Gaza “at pace”.
On Wednesday, Downing Street did not rule out more sanctions on Israeli ministers after a report said Number 10 and other countries were drawing up plans to target key figures in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Sir Keir’s official spokesman said he would not speculate on future sanctions but added it has been made clear that if Israel does not cease its military offensive and lift aid restrictions then the UK will take further “concrete actions”.
The shooting in the West Bank came hours before the Israeli military said 100 aid trucks carrying flour, baby food and medical equipment had travelled from the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza.
Palestinian workers unload an aid truck, in Khan Younis. Pic: Reuters
The transfer of aid into Gaza has become an increasingly controversial topic over the last couple of days as the international community fears the territory is on the brink of famine.
The UN said earlier that no aid has been distributed in Gaza since Mr Netanyahu said an 11-week blockade on the territory had been lifted.
On Wednesday evening, the Israeli prime minister held a news conference where he said he would not allow European leaders to “influence” Israel after he was asked about the diplomatic row over the gunfire in Jenin and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We have to complete the war,” Mr Netahayu said. “We are going to continue what is needed to end the war.”
He said it was a “mark of shame” that Britain was sanctioning Israel and not Hamas, calling the sanctions an “absolutely horrible thing”.
Friends of Jay Slater have failed to appear as witnesses at an inquest into his death – as a coroner heard the British teenager had drugs in his system before he died from a “devastating” head injury.
Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife after attending a music festival in June last year.
In the early hours of the following day, he is believed to have travelled to an apartment where people he had met were staying – before he went missing.
His body was recovered in a remote part of La Masca village on 15 July following an extensive search of the island by authorities and his family.
The valley where Mr Slater’s body was found in Tenerife
His mother Debbie Duncan, stepfather and other family members attended the inquest into Mr Slater’s death at Preston Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.
Ms Duncan broke down in tears as she told the hearing she still had questions that needed answers.
The hearing, scheduled to last one day, was told extensive efforts had been made to reach several witnesses who were in contact with Mr Slater before he disappeared, which included summonses being issued.
However, a number of witnesses had failed to respond, including Mr Slater’s friends Bradley Geoghegan, Brandon Hodgson and Lucy Law, who were out with him at the music festival.
Jay Slater disappeared in Tenerife in June last year before his body was found the following month. Pic: LBT Global/Slater family
The two men who were staying at an Airbnb that Mr Slater went back to before he disappeared have also not been traced.
Ms Duncan said: “How can we ever get any understanding?
“There’s things we want to question. We want these people to be sat in front of us, because our son went on holiday and didn’t come back, so there’s questions we need to ask.”
Coroner Dr James Adeley agreed to adjourn the hearing, at the request of Mr Slater’s tearful mother, who asked for the witnesses to be brought to court to give evidence before the inquest concludes. A further hearing date has yet to be set.
Earlier, the court heard analysis of Mr Slater’s body showed traces of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd detailed Mr Slater’s injuries.
Mr Slater died from a ‘devastating’ head injury, a coroner heard. Pic: PH Build Group
He described “extensive fractures of the left side of his head… extending into the bottom of his skull”.
Mr Slater also sustained “fractures to the left side of the pelvis and hip joints”.
Dr Shepherd said the injuries were “entirely consistent with a heavy fall, from a height, landing on his head”.
Asked by the coroner if there was any suggestion of assault or restraint, he replied: “Nothing to suggest an assault, gripping, holding, nothing of that sort.”
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Dr Adeley asked the pathologist about the impact of Mr Slater’s injuries.
Dr Shepherd replied: “It would have had an immediate and devastating effect on Jay’s consciousness.
“The injuries were so severe I have no doubt he would have been instantly unconscious from the moment of that blow to the head. Death could well have been instant, the injury was so severe.”
Failing that, it would have most likely occurred “extremely soon after” the fall, he added.
Dr Shepherd gave an official cause of death as a head injury.
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