THE North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) says a racket involving nurses taking home salaries ranging between $60,000 and $80,000 over a three-month period due to hundreds of overtime hours has been uncovered.

Warning letters have been issued to various department heads for allowing this 'haemorrhage' of taxpayers' money to occur, amounting to millions of dollars since 2023.

The abuse of the overtime system has been halted and, according to NCRHA chairman Dr Tim Gopeesingh, there is no going back, as stricter protocols will be implemented to ensure value for money.