Surgeon suspended for 'taking bowl of soup'

Evening Standard ^ | 22 March 2004 | Hugh Dougherty

[nickcarraway]

A brain surgeon has been suspended from his hospital in a dispute over whether he tried to "steal" an extra helping of soup. Terence Hope was sent home after it was claimed he took the soup from his hospital's staff canteen without paying. The consultant neurosurgeon, who is one of Britain's most respected specialists in his field, claimed he was getting extra croutons.

Colleagues at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham were said to be furious at the move by management, which they said would hurt patients.

Mr Hope, 57, was ordered to keep quiet about his suspension by hospital bosses, who have ordered an investigation into the soup-stealing claims. There was no suggestion Mr Hope, who specialises in vascular neurosurgery, was abusive to the canteen staff.

One colleague at the hospital's neurosurgical-ward, which takes patients from across the East Midlands, said: "It's absolutely crazy. It is only patients who will suffer."

A senior neurosurgeon and colleague of £80,000-a-year Mr Hope said: " Terence Hope has an international reputation for excellence and is a leading light in his field.

"There are not a lot of brain surgeons in Britain. To pull someone out of the service is a very serious matter, both for the individual patients and the person who is dealt with.

"To pull a neurosurgeon for anything, unless he is technically dangerous, must hazard the whole service."

Hospital bosses admitted the surgeon's performance was not in question and said: "The matter will now be discussed as soon as possible."

[nickcarraway]

Dr. Oliver Twist

[the_devils_advocate_666]

"There are not a lot of brain surgeons in Britain."

There's a joke in there somwhere, I just know it.

[rogue yam]

No soup for you!

[nickcarraway]

And I thought doctors could get away with murder?

[FreePaul]

"There are not a lot of brain surgeons in Britain."

Yeah! Probably not a lot of need for them. It would seem to be a very challenging job though, since this action indicates that brains are very small over there.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

...claimed he was getting extra croutons

Honest mistake, they look very similar.

[nickcarraway]

Only fewer number of dentists...

[Teacher317]

I bet he'd make a lot more money over here... and receive better treatment from hospital staff and administration.

[Lurking in Kansas]

"There are not a lot of brain surgeons in Britain."

You beat me to it. I noticed that immediately and thought that’s an understatement.

[Sacajaweau]

This hospital definitely needs a good brain surgeon and they let him go.

[Stagerite]

Sounds to me like this hospital has three problems ...

1. The person in charge of the soup.
2. The people in chage of the person in charge of the soup.
3. The brain surgeon that just decided to "brain-drain" himself to America.

[cspackler]

Another wonder of socialized medicine?

[Centurion2000]

And people wonder why the British lost their Empire.

[Thoro]

"No soup for you!"

[jtminton]

Dude! I was seconds away from posting that and thought I should check one last time. Beaten again.

[G L Tirebiter]

An arrogant, abusive surgeon.

Well, I never!

[Squantos]

Funny......not sure of his guilt or innocence but we had a guy at our widget works that was making about 250K a year and was found to be hiding bacon or sausage between his stack of pancakes . He was warned by the cashier when she caught him the first few times . Dunno if he thought it was a game or a joke but he was fired for petty theft. A 250K a year job lost for a friggin dollars worth of breakfast. Rocket scientist , brain surgeons, engineers oh my !..........

Stay safe !

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Dr. Hope, welcome to America!

Hospital administrators really are this retentive. If people only knew half the stuff which occurs in hospitals...

[Kakaze]

Lets see, in Britian you can get a brain operation curtesy of state run health care, but you can't get a bowl of soup?

[krb]

I am not sure what is worse, the uptight hospital, or the doctor who thinks he is god's gift to the world and shouldn't have to pay for his own lunch.