Surgeon suspended for 'taking bowl of soup'

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."