A HOSPITAL trust’s payroll system is to be reviewed after managers overpaid an empoyee.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust has apologised for mistakes which led to Kirsten Walsh being overpaid about £1,700.

The mother-of-two, of Magnolia Drive, Colchester, worked as a health care assistant at Colchester General Hospital from May last year until August, when she went on sick leave due to a back injury.

She is now being pursued for the money which the 33-year-old says she cannot afford to pay back, and does not believe she should, as the errors were not her fault.

The hospital’s errors included: * She was incorrectly paid for working four days a week when she was in fact working three * She was incorrectly paid for being on sick leave * Her resignation letter in October went missing, which also resulted in her being overpaid.

Mrs Walsh claims she had flagged up discrepancies in her pay with the trust, but was told everything was in order. She said: “I’m absolutely fuming with them. It’s as if they are one big trust, yet they are deciding to take it out on the little people who cannot afford to pay it back.”

Trust spokesman Mark Prentice said the errors were “unacceptable”, and the chief executive had asked for systems to be reviewed so it does not happen again.

But he added: “These errors do not mitigate the fact Mrs Walsh did receive money to which she was not entitled, and therefore the trust believes our offer to reduce the overpayment by £200 is fair.

“We will be contacting her shortly to arrange a way and timeframe for her to pay back the money which she will find acceptable.”

While Mrs Walsh said it was “good” a review would take place, she is fighting to have the debt scrapped, with the support of Colchester MP Bob Russell.

He said: “I think the hospital’s performance has been woeful.

“While I’m pleased they are going to address the situation so it doesn’t happen in the future, it doesn’t alter the fact Mrs Walsh, through no fault of her own, finds herself in a situation.

“I think the hospital authorities should acknowledge they are at fault, not her, and should close the file and not pursue Mrs Walsh further.”