A FORMER NHS boss who abused his position and used public money to do his own shopping has been sent to prison.

Terence High defrauded the NHS out of £1,631.12 and spent the money on groceries, cigarettes, petrol and scratch cards.

The 51-year-old worked as a procurement manager at the Solent NHS Trust and was responsible for purchasing items on behalf of the trust’s staff at its headquarters in Highpoint, Thornhill.

But as previously reported, Southampton Magistrates Court heard how High, of Hillbury Road, Fordingbridge, used his health service credit card to do his own shopping, submitting fake entries on the trust’s accounting systems, claiming the money spent was on memory cards.

The court was told High used the credit cards 76 times between February and December 2016.

The trust, which provides community and mental health services to people living in Portsmouth, Southampton and in some parts of Hampshire, decided to investigate High after he was convicted for four different fraud matters at Dorset Magistrates’ Court in November of that year, receiving a 12 month suspended sentence.

As part of the credit card reconciliation process, the trust identified receipts for purchases made at supermarkets across Hampshire and Dorset.

As previously reported, the trust’s local counter fraud specialist (LCFS) undertook a review of all purchases made using the credit card and identified a large number of transactions which were made at weekends or at supermarkets.

Following the investigation, High was interviewed and admitted making the purchases, including several while on the suspended sentence.

High, who was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday to a 12-month prison term, had previously pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and breaching the terms of his suspended sentence order.

The court was previously told he had struggled with finances and suffered with anxiety and mental health problems.

Following the sentencing, health bosses at Solent NHS Trust said they have worked with experts to tighten controls but they were unable reveal more details before the Daily Echo went to press.

Andrew Strevens, Solent NHS Trust’s director of finance, performance and estates, said: “We have been entrusted with public money to provide our local communities with health services that are timely, appropriate and free at point of delivery. The resources at our disposal are limited and so every penny we have really does need to stretch far. It is, therefore, very disappointing that, knowing all of this, our former colleague chose to utilise his role and privileged access to steal from the public purse.”

“Hopefully, this conviction serves as a warning that misuse of a position of trust isn’t a victimless crime and there is, ultimately, a price to pay.”