Hospital gets back £16m pay error

Policy and Resources has launched an inquiry into the error

More than £16m mistakenly paid to hospital workers in Jersey, has now been returned.

About 500 staff at the General Hospital were overpaid after a computer mistake. The weekly-paid staff were each given more than a hundred times their usual wages - amounts of thousands of pounds.

A new computer treated the two zeros, indicating pence in a salary, as pounds, resulting in £16.8m going into staff accounts instead of £168,000.

The temptation was definitely there - it was like Father Christmas had come early Peter Hannaford, union spokesman

Bill Ogley, the chief executive of Policy and Resources, apologised for the error and all employees were sent a written apology and a direct debit form.

They were asked to fill in the form or write a cheque to refund the extra money.

A union spokesman for the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) says the mistake has been rectified quickly because of the honesty and integrity of the workers affected, including catering staff, cleaners, engineers, porters and other support staff.

Peter Hannaford said: "The temptation was definitely there. It was like Father Christmas had come early.

"But the union had to act quickly as many bank accounts were automatically frozen because of the island's money laundering laws.

"We had to get the States to agree that any expenses or charges would be met by the Treasury, but thanks to the staff's honesty every single penny has now been paid back."

A spokeswoman for the States says it wanted to thank every worker for their co-operation in returning the money.