An NHS practice manager who siphoned off nearly £70,000 from his surgery to pay off his own debts has avoided jail.

John Fletcher, 50, had total control of the finances at Pickering Medical Practice, but after he failed to get a large mortgage the dad-of-two began sinking under credit card debt.

For three years, he devised an invoice scam diverting thousands of pounds into his own bank account to the tune of £69,472.

A contractor discovered his deception after checking an invoice which was double what had been authorised.

When confronted, Fletcher, who began working at the practice in 2001, admitted his crime and resigned.

York Crown Court, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates Court, heard yesterday how married Fletcher’s elderly mother came to his aid and gave him a £60,000 early inheritance to repay the surgery.

The court heard how Fletcher was of “positive good character” and unlikely to reoffend.

Taryn Turner, mitigating, said Fletcher, of Leppington, had moved with his family into a larger home.

She said: “He is a family man driven by dire financial circumstances to behave as he did.

“His family took on extra debt, but were hopeful of getting a bigger mortgage. The larger mortgage did not materialise.

“He had furnished and equipped their new home using credit cards and he came under increasing financial pressure, and in desperation committed this offence. Help then came from his mother as she advanced his inheritance he was due to receive upon her death.

“He is remorseful and knows he has lost his reputation and his home. The family are now in rented accommodation.”

Fletcher, who previously admitted fraud by abuse of process, will not have to repay the remaining £9,472 because he is on Jobseekers Allowance and has no savings.

Judge Tahir Khan QC said: “What you did was abuse your position of trust.”

However, crediting his early guilty plea and positive good character, he said: “These factors have persuaded me to suspend your sentence.”

Fletcher received a one-year jail term suspended for two years and a one-year supervision order. He will also have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

A Pickering Medical Practice spokesman thanked patients and staff for their support, and stressed the deception related to the falsifying of business invoicing and “has not affected any patient details or activity and has not involved NHS funding earmarked for patient care”.

He said: “We are pleased this matter has been concluded. Our patients are our top priority and we will continue to do everything we can to protect them.”