Bligh demands better on health pay woes

SYDNEY (AAP) - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has ordered health department bureaucrats to improve the way they are recouping overpaid wages owed from last year's payroll debacle.
About 38,000 people have received letters asking them to pay back $62 million in wages mistakenly paid to them when a faulty payroll system was introduced.
The highest overpayment was almost $100,000, while most were mistakenly paid an average of between $1100 to $1500.
Those overpaid by up to $200, about 22,000 workers, will have their debts wiped, at a total cost of $1.6 million.
But some health workers are disputing the amounts and have complained about the process.
Ms Bligh was overseas during last week's rumblings on the issue, but says she called Queensland Health's top bureaucrats into her office on Sunday for a "lengthy" briefing on the issue.
"Clearly I want to make sure that monies that are owed to the taxpayers of Queensland are recovered," she told reporters on Monday.
"But I also want to make sure, importantly, that we treat the staff of Queensland Health sensibly and carefully."
She said she told the bureaucrats to explain the process and how they could improve it.
"They'll be coming back to me about that," she said.
"Clearly Queensland Health needs to do better in how they're managing this issue."