Surgeon who had legs removed faces court accused of false sepsis claim | UK | News

A vascular surgeon who carried out hundreds of amputation operations before having his own legs removed has appeared in court charged with fraud.

Neil Hopper, 49, has also been charged with encouraging someone else to remove the body parts of others.
Hopper, of Truro in Cornwall, appeared before Cornwall Magistrates’ Court in Bodmin on Wednesday accused of two counts of fraud by false representation, and a charge of encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable-only offence, namely grievous bodily harm.

Magistrates remanded him into custody and ordered him to appear before Truro Crown Court on August 26.
It is alleged that on dates between June 3 and June 26 2019, Hopper dishonestly made a false representation to insurers claiming his leg injuries were the “result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted”.

It is also alleged that between August 21 2018 and December 04 2020, Hopper bought videos from The EunuchMaker website showing the removal of limbs, which “encouraged Marius Gustavson to remove body parts of third parties”.

Hopper has not worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service’s interim orders tribunal placed restrictions on his practice the following month while the

General Medical Council investigated, and he has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman said: “The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, where Mr Hopper has been employed, has worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation.”

A hospital trust spokesman added: “The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients. Mr Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, following his initial arrest. Former patients with any questions or concerns about their treatment can contact the Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ patient experience team.”