Public Healthcare Horror Stories

[Sunflowerz]

This is a thread I plan to merely add to instead of get angry and rant about it.

First story:

Hospital workers in Queensland who have not been paid were sent a list of charities they could approach for food and financial assistance.

Some of Queensland Health's 74,000 employees haven't been paid for a month.

The bungle occurred as a payroll system blamed for making overpayments to Queensland Health staff was replaced by a new $40 million version.

The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital sent an email to staff advising them of what action they should take if they had not been properly paid.

Included was advice on seeking help from Brisbane charities.

"If you or anyone you know is suffering hardship, there are several organisations which may be able to assist," the email read.

Attached was a list of St Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army and Wesley Mission outlets, and included the type of services they provide and their opening hours.

Queensland's health department has apologised for the email, and the pay bungle.

Director-General of Queensland Health, Mick Reid, on Thursday said the vast majority of staff have been paid.

"It's not adequate," he said of the department's performance.

"Through the Easter process we immediately rectified those as they came to our attention. We paid a number of staff over the Easter break," Mr Reid told ABC Radio.

"Those who have been identified in this payroll run we will again rectify."

Mr Reid said he could not guarantee that the correct payments would be made in coming weeks.

He said he was disappointed the email was sent to some staff who hadn't been paid advising them to approach charities for help.
"Whilst I understand the intent of what the Royal Brisbane Hospital did, I think it was unnecessary," Mr Reid said of the email.

Can you imagine 74,000 healthcare employees (outside of possibly Californian Health Care Workers) not being paid their wages? That's approximately .35 percent of the entire population not paid according to their monthly salary cycle but told by their government to seek charity help.

Discuss.

(That's all I've got to say about this particular story)

Thank you.

[Mish]

The bungle occurred as a payroll system blamed for making overpayments to Queensland Health staff was replaced by a new $40 million version.

As horrifying as it is, it doesn't sound like it was a problem with public healthcare system, but an issue in a new $40 million payroll system. These issues happen in the private sector all the time as well.

[jmayojsevol]

Also, it says "Some of Queensland Health's 74,000 employees haven't been paid for a month." It doesn't say how many of them. Maybe it's 5.

[Junket]

Uh, California.

[Sunflowerz]

yup... California..

[Junket]

yup... California..

'Nuff said.

[vashti]

I live in California, and I haven't had any problem getting paid. Didn't this happen in Australia?

[Lipp]

Can you imagine 74,000 healthcare employees (outside of possibly Californian Health Care Workers) not being paid their wages? That's approximately .35 percent of the entire population not paid according to their monthly salary cycle but told by their government to seek charity help.
.

Some of Queensland Health's 74,000 employees haven't been paid for a month.

Newspapers deal in "some's" rather than actual values to catch people off-guard. Like in your case.

Secondly, it's "not paid for a month", which isn't exactly the end of the world, especially since it's because of an IT issue rather than greed or illegal actions.

And thirdly, people are seriously prickly if they whine about being provided a list of charities, at least the company cares enough to bother with doing so.

[Doc Durian]

The issue is in mismanagement.

Governments are incapable of managing anything effectively.

That was just one example of it.

[the_robot]

The issue is in mismanagement.

Governments are incapable of managing anything effectively.

That was just one example of it.

Bad governments are.

[Doc Durian]

ALL governments are.

[Lipp]

Tell us something that governments fail at and corporations never would.

[Doc Durian]

Tell us something that governments fail at and corporations never would.

Governments and corporations? That could be construed as a question intended to lead.

Don't you mean the "free market"?

[Mish]

The issue is in mismanagement.

Governments are incapable of managing anything effectively.

That was just one example of it.

Unlike free market which is Doc's only alternative that manages everything perfectly, like the global financial cirses. That was managed superbly. We should all ditch governments in favour of unregulated markets to have more glorious events like that. Just imagine how much better off everyone would be if that multiplied.

[the_robot]

Unlike free market which is Doc's only alternative that manages everything perfectly, like the global financial cirses. That was managed superbly. We should all ditch governments in favour of unregulated markets to have more glorious events like that. Just imagine how much better off everyone would be if that multiplied.

Yeah, 'cause the private companies have in their mind just the public good.. that's why the free market is so good.