**High-Profile Welsh Surgeon Facing Fraud Charges Over Double Amputation Claims**
A respected Welsh consultant vascular surgeon, Neil Hopper, is at the centre of a complex legal case involving allegations of insurance fraud and encouraging grievous bodily harm. Hopper, aged 49 and formerly based in Aberystwyth, is accused of two counts of fraud by false representation, alongside a charge relating to online content that allegedly promoted serious offences against others. The situation has sent shockwaves through the medical community and beyond, given his prominent career and now-controversial personal circumstances.
Dr Hopper, who worked for more than a decade at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, was renowned for his surgical expertise, having performed hundreds of amputations throughout his career. In an unexpected turn, he himself became a double amputee. Now residing in Truro, Cornwall, Hopper appeared recently before magistrates in Bodmin to answer these serious charges, which call both his professional integrity and personal story into question.
Central to the prosecution’s case is the allegation that Dr Hopper misled insurers regarding how he lost his legs. Authorities state that between 3 June and 26 June 2019, Hopper allegedly claimed his amputations were solely due to sepsis and were not self-inflicted, a statement which the prosecution contends was untrue. The implication is that this misrepresentation was made to benefit financially from his insurance policies.
Alongside these accusations, Hopper is also facing scrutiny for his reported involvement with a website known as The EunuchMaker. He is alleged to have purchased video material from this site, between 21 August 2018 and 4 December 2020. Prosecutors argue that this act was tantamount to encouraging another individual, Marius Gustavson, to remove body parts of people unconnected to the case. The charge, in legal terms, is of “encouraging or assisting an indictable-only offence,” namely grievous bodily harm.
This case has significant ramifications, not just for Dr Hopper himself but for the wider perceptions of trust in healthcare professionals. The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust promptly suspended Dr Hopper from his duties in March 2023 following his initial arrest and has since cooperated fully with the ongoing police investigation. The Trust has, however, sought to reassure the public that these allegations do not pertain to his clinical performance. In a statement, a spokesperson confirmed: “The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.”
Following the allegations, the professional regulatory authorities took swift action. The General Medical Council imposed interim restrictions on Hopper’s medical practice as early as April 2023 while they conducted their own inquiry. By December of that year, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service had suspended Hopper from the medical register. Consequently, he has not practised medicine since his suspension.
Authorities continue to engage with the public regarding the incident. The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has encouraged any former patients with queries or concerns about their treatment under Dr Hopper to get in touch with their patient experience team. The Trust is working to maintain transparency as the legal process unfolds.
Covered extensively in the regional press, this case represents a rare and perplexing blend of personal tragedy, professional reputation, and criminal allegations. Members of the medical profession and patients alike will be closely watching how the case develops, given its potential implications for the profession as a whole.
Magistrates have remanded Neil Hopper into custody, pending his next appearance at Truro Crown Court scheduled for 26 August. The case is expected to continue generating significant attention, both locally and nationally, as further details emerge and the judicial process takes its course.