LONDON - A hospital has had to cancel operations after a surgeon was suspended in a dispute over a bowl of soup in the staff cafeteria. Dr Terence Hope, 57, a leading expert in vascular neurosurgery, was suspended March 18 after "allegations about his personal conduct," according to Queen's Medical Centre in the central English city of Nottingham. Surgery on three patients was cancelled Monday. The DailyMail tabloid reported Monday that Hope had been accused of taking an extra serving of soup without paying. He reportedly said he had just been getting some more croutons.

　　The hospital has refused comment, saying disciplinary procedures are confidential. A spokeswoman said Hope had been due to operate Monday on three patients, but none of the cases was urgent and their surgery was postponed.

　　The government has refused to intervene, saying Hope is employed by the hospital, not the Department of Health. "It is their responsibility to deal with this particular issue," Health Minister Lord Warner told the House of Lords on Monday. The DailyMail reported that Hope, who earns the equivalent of 1.2 million yuan a year, had been suspended on full pay.