Tiny debts chased up by state

QUEENSLAND Health debts as small as $47.27 are being pursued by the department, new figures show.

Health Minister Steven Miles this week revealed the latest payroll debt figures for those owing $500 or less in answer to a Question on Notice from the Opposition.

He revealed the five smallest debts being case managed by the department were from between $47.27 and $79.63 with 18,293 people owing $500 or less.

“The total amount owed by individuals with an outstanding overpayment balance under $500 is $3.46 million,” the Minister said in answer to the question.

All up about $48 million in overpayments is owed to the State with just under $7 million of that the subject of repayment agreements.

That is down from $58.7 million in March.

Opposition Health spokeswoman Ros Bates described the situation as extraordinary.

“Labor’s health payroll debacle has dragged on for almost a decade, with no end in sight and over $40 million in outstanding payments,” she said.

“As a nurse and someone with colleagues still in the profession, I understand firsthand the effect this nightmare has had on the morale of our hardworking nursing staff across Queensland.”

A spokesman for Queensland Health said the overpayments only accounted for about 0.4 per cent of the department’s fortnightly net pay run. about