What is this world coming to?

[PaulB]

OK. This story about the Neuro Surgeon that has been suspended for allegedly having an extra bowl of soup without paying for it has got me riled. For a start, operations were cancelled because of this, how petty??? Quoting a guy whos brother has had a few operations performed by this surgeon, he said 'this guy is a genius'. YES he is!!! so why the hell has he been suspended for such a pathetic reason? I heard a phone-in on the radio today about this and people were actually defending the action taken by saying 'Stealing is Stealing'!!!!! Please tell me I'm not the only one on this planet that thinks that this is disgusting. Ta :o)

[PaulB]

AND While I'm at it, why doesn't he get his meals free anyway????

[slimjim]

If he had ever operated on one of my kids, I would do anything to make sure he had free lunches for life. This whole story, if correct, stinks of modern NHS mis-management.

[andy hughes]

The quality of his work or his qualifications, or his salary, are not valid reasons why this surgeon should not have been suspended. The fact that he is innocent until proven guilty most certainly is. A little perspective here? If he is not putting patients at risk by his action, although ironicaly patients are at risk due to his enforced IN-action, then he should be back at work while due process is completed. Stealing most certainly is stealing, but common sense is common sense, so let's apply the latter to the former, and see how quickly this can be sorted out, to everyone's benefit.

[Greedyfly]

Well this is petty - it was an extra serving of CROUTONS not soup. ; ) It is completly mad though.

[Robinia]

I agree - the world has gone mad! How on earth did this happen? And as someone said on TV, once it has gone this far it takes a long time to sort out. A close relative of mine spent 10 months in this very hospital last year & so I've seen just how busy it is there. I'm absolutely as disgusted as you are PaulB!!!

[boognish76]

I agree that the suspension was a bit much, but I work in the NHS and doctors think they are gods, to whom the normal rules of society - ie paying for things - do not apply. If you want another packet of croutons - then pay for them like everyone else! I'm sure he could afford them so why didn't he pay? Because he thought he was special and the NHS does not benefit from that kind of attitude.

[PaulB]

I see your point Boognish, I do but, suspending the guy is way out of order just for that. Those poor patients waiting to have neuro surgery have to wait more now because of some power crazed official with nothing better to do than be politically correct. This incident, however dressed up, should have been overlooked.

[Miss Zippy]

. Completely agree, it's just bonkers. I hope the person(s) responsible for taking the decision to suspend Mr Hope are dealt with accordingly. As taxpayers, we're all paying for this blunder, but not paying nearly as high a price as his patients and their families. Whilst I see the point that 'stealing is stealing', what's happened to common sense?? So what if some doctors have attitudes and think they shouldn't have to pay for certain things? You get arrogant twits in all walks of life and I think many of us would think we were pretty special too if we saved lives on a daily basis. I find it far more disturbing that our NHS system bestows this kind of power to jumped up bureaucrats.

[rinkytink]

I agree with most of the people here that his suspension was over the top and not common sense at all. But lets say that he did take the soup/croutons without paying. Most people seem to think that a suspension for this would be over the top. Okay...what if he took a dessert without paying ?....his whole dinner ?....some medical products ?....drugs ?

Where does the line get drawn that says what is acceptable 'theft' and what is not ?

[Miss Zippy]

Common sense would tell me that stealing a lunch, whilst technically a criminal offence, in the grand scheme of things is a minor indiscretion worthy of little more than a discreet word in the doc's ear (if the theft persisted, then that's a different mater). A doc stealing drugs, whether for his own use or otherwise, is a different kettle of fish and deserving of the full force of disciplinary and criminal proceedings.

[kags]

Hmmmm, I have been thinking this one over. We are getting into dangerous territory if we apply double standards - if a homeless person, or a drug addict or an asylum seeker steals something, even something small then we don't afford them the same tolerance. We are taught to give doctors a god-like status, and I know that if one of my kids was ill or injured I would be eternally grateful to the doctors, and nurses and everyone else who treated them - BUT, who are we to judge a person's value or worth to society? The legal sytem is supposed to be above that and we have to trust that it is or we are on a slippery slope. Yes, I am all for common sense, but I am not qualified to judge another person's worth.

[gnasher]

yeah right . if this was aloud then before you kno it the docs would steal if they knew they would get away with it..........then the vets........then the teachers ....etc..etc....jail the thief !

[brawburd]

I see where Kags is coming from and think it is a very valid point. However, given that his actions were not putting his patients at risk, surely his "theft" could have been dealt with within disciplinary processes - without suspension. Yes to doctors not being above the law, no to double standards - but a big yes for common sense too. The biggest effect of this suspension is on patients and on waiting lists.

[Janetex]

It is pathetic. I hope that all we rise above this kind of thing, although I doubt it. What would Patch Adams say?

[bernardo]

It's interesting to read the various answers given above, some of which curiously seemed to assume that he had in fact stolen some croutons, or soup, or whatever. He has now been reinstated on the basis that he didn't steal anything, and that the croutons he took were the ones which he had forgotten to take in the first place (i.e. already paid for).

[Greedyfly]

He has his job back and starts this week - I think

[BenDToy]

Regardless of the outcome, I am a little shocked that people blithely condemn his suspension because he is a surgeon and the "offence" was so trivial. Kags seems to be the only other person who brings this up. As Kags says, where do we draw the line. The normal procedure in any organisation is to suspend the alleged culprit while the allegation is investigated. Why should surgeons be treated differently? Now what did I do with that box of pens and pack of paper...?

[Gef]

No wonder the NHS is in the mess it is in - too many "jobs worth" managers and not enough nurses/doctors. If the guy took something that he didn't pay for have a little word in his ear and let him get on with his job. Tomorrow I think I will "steal" an exctra sachet of tomato sauce and so get sent home and not have to teach my afternoon classes!

[bazwillrun]

Compared to the administrators in the NHS they are gods What do you do in the the NHS then boognish76 ? My brother is a Consultant Surgeon at Dorchester and I was with him the other week when this story broke and he told me exactly how petty most of the administrators are. He also told me how most of the surgeons treat most of the administrators with the contempt that they deserve. It would seem that the administrators think that they are the surgeons' bosses, in their dreams but not in reality. They are ignored whenever possible. Is all they do is get paid to enter figures into spreadsheeets in order to give the politicians the figures needed for their targets. Get rid of half these people for 6 months and the hospitals will still run, but get rid of half the surgeons and see who is needed most by the hospitals. I bet the neurosurgeon was quaking in his boots at being suspended !. The only people who should be suspended and disciplined are the administrators in question. Send them home and let the surgeons get on with their jobs