A former doctor’s surgery manager siphoned off more than £180,000 over five years, a court heard.

Karen Hoadley previously admitted several counts of theft by employee between 2012 and last year while working at Old Road West Surgery, Gravesend.

Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court the 53-year-old, of Clifton Marine Parade, was given a suspended prison sentence after judge Brendan Finucane heard she was an alcoholic and ruled custody was not in the public interest.

Instead the mother-of-one will be subject to a year-long curfew to run between 7.30pm and 6am and have to attend 40 days of alcohol treatment.

She also faces two years in prison if convicted of another offence within two years.

Previously the judge had warned Hoadley to expect jail time, telling her: “You should not have any illusions you are facing the very real possibility, in fact a high probability, of a custodial sentence of some length.”

Last month he had adjourned sentencing for a psychiatric report to be prepared.

In total Hoadley stole £183,000 from the surgery, which caters for 10,210 people and has since fallen into ‘special measures’.

It is not clear if her offences were linked to the latest damning Care Quality Commission report.

As well as the branch in Old Road West, the surgery also operates services from Mackenzie Way.

The surgery did not respond to requests for a comment.