NHS Staff Get Sent to Debt Collectors Over Payroll Errors
Data obtained through Freedom of Information requests show that referrals to bailiffs for overpaid wages rose from 1,807 in 2020-21 to 2,683 in 2024-25. Several NHS workers told investigators that these actions caused stress, anxiety, and in some cases financial hardship.
A spokesperson for NHS England said it had "immediately established a payroll improvement programme after hearing about these awful cases and the distress caused."
Dr Tom Horne described his shock upon receiving a court summons over an overpayment.
"They're not thinking about the human being on the end of that debt collection letter... trying to pay their bills, live their life and pay the mortgage," he said.
The 42-year-old father of two from Nottingham said his experience with Sherwood Forest NHS Trust, which operates King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, left him feeling stressed and angry.
"By the time I left [the] trust, they'd repeatedly underpaid me. They then paid me a big chunk at once - I assumed it was correct. Honestly, at that point I had no way of knowing," Horne said.
He discovered the error six months after leaving the trust.
"I received a debt collection letter and a county court date. I'd never had a court summons before. It was scary at first, trying to work out what was going on," he added.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
