Surgeon charged with fraud after allegedly faking sepsis to claim insurance payout
Dr. Neil Hopper, a 49-year-old vascular surgeon who previously performed hundreds of amputations, has been charged with fraud after allegedly lying to insurers about the cause of his own leg amputations. Prosecutors claim that Hopper falsely stated his injuries were the result of sepsis, not self-inflicted, in an attempt to obtain financial compensation.
Hopper, a former surgeon at Royal Cornwall Hospital, is also accused of encouraging another individual to remove the body parts of others. He faces two counts of fraud by false representation and one charge of encouraging or assisting grievous bodily harm, according to Devon and Cornwall Police, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The charges allege that between 3 June and 26 June 2019, Hopper dishonestly misled insurance providers by claiming his leg amputations were due to medical complications. Further investigations revealed that between 21 August 2018 and 4 December 2020, Hopper purchased videos from a controversial site known as The EunuchMaker, which allegedly featured the removal of limbs and was linked to Marius Gustavson, the site’s ringleader.
Hopper is scheduled to appear before Cornwall Magistrates’ Court in Bodmin. He has not worked for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023, when he was suspended following his initial arrest. The General Medical Council (GMC) placed restrictions on his medical practice in April 2023 and later suspended him from the medical register in December 2023.
A police spokesperson confirmed that the hospital has fully cooperated with the investigation, stating:
“The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation.”
A hospital trust representative emphasized that the charges are not linked to Hopper’s treatment of patients:
“There has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients. Mr. Hopper’s professional conduct with patients remains separate from the allegations.”
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