Families whose children were impacted by the actions of a surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have received an apology letter prior to the release of a forthcoming report.

On January 29, GOSH is set to publish findings regarding the misconduct of Yaser Jabbar, a disgraced orthopaedic surgeon who treated numerous children over approximately five years.

It is already established that several children experienced significant harm while under the care of Jabbar, who specialized in lower limb reconstruction.

Reports indicate that Jabbar is currently residing abroad and has lost his medical license in the UK. The Metropolitan Police have stated that they will review the upcoming report but have not yet received any criminal complaints.

Ahead of this publication, GOSH reached out to the affected families, expressing empathy for their experiences and encouraging them to contact the police if they chose to do so.

This follows an exhaustive review involving 789 children treated at GOSH, as well as at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and three private facilities: The Portland Hospital, Cromwell Hospital, and St John and St Elizabeth Hospital London.

In a letter dated January 21, GOSH’s chief executive, Matthew Shaw, addressed the families: “First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt, sincere apologies to you and your family once again.

“We have engaged in numerous discussions with patients and their families, and we recognize that nothing we do can fully address the experiences you have endured and their profound impact on your lives.

“I realize that the review process itself may have caused you additional distress, and for that, I am also truly sorry.

“My hope is that by providing you with a thorough account of our findings and clearly outlining the measures we have implemented, we can start to restore the trust that has been damaged.”

The letter indicated that the January 29 report would outline the events surrounding Jabbar’s tenure and the steps the hospital has taken to improve its practices.

An earlier report from the Royal College of Surgeons, commissioned by GOSH and subsequently leaked to The Sunday Times, indicated that children had undergone “incorrect” and “inappropriate” surgical procedures.

Some of the affected children required additional surgeries to rectify errors that resulted in chronic pain, deformities, and nerve damage.

In his statement, Shaw reiterated his apologies to the impacted families and added: “We are collaborating closely with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Camden, who is also working with other organizations, including the police, in accordance with standard procedures when allegations are made against adults working with children.”