Colum Eastwood says postal failures leaving Derry patients removed from waiting lists

Mr Eastwood was speaking after constituents approached him with letters from the Western Health and Social Care Trust informing them that they would be removed from waiting lists if they did not reply by a set date. The letters were not delivered until after the qualifying date had passed.

The Derry MP said that people who have been waiting more than a year for treatment feel like they’re back at square one through no fault of their own.

Colum Eastwood MP said: “The situation with postal delivery in Derry, and across the North, is dire. It has become a completely regular occurrence to receive letters, many of them time sensitive, weeks after they were posted and in some cases it is having very serious consequences.

“I know of constituents who have received urgent letters from the Western Trust informing them of appointment slots weeks after the slot has passed. In some cases that has led to follow up letters informing them that because they missed an appointment, they will be removed from the waiting list unless they reply within a set period. These letters have also arrived late. It is a completely unacceptable situation that is driving vulnerable and sick people to despair.

“No one should have their place on a health waiting list placed in jeopardy because Royal Mail is failing so comprehensively against their service obligations. But that is what we’re now seeing.

“I have spoken to front line postal workers who are working as hard as they can but feel unsupported by Royal Mail to deal with the volume of deliveries they’re given with the number of staff available. The push to prioritise packages to compete with couriers like Amazon is only making the situation far more acute.

“I have written to the Health Minister at Stormont and the Minister with responsibility for Postal Services at Westminster to raise these issues and identify if this is a wider issue. People who are waiting for treatment in the health service should not be placed in this position. It is unfair, it creates additional stress and it needs to be addressed urgently."

A spokesperson for Royal Mail responded to Mr Eastwood’s statement, saying: “We know how important it is that customers receive their mail on time, particularly when it includes medical appointments or other important correspondence.

“Recent UK-wide figures show 92% of all letters are delivered on time and 99.4% within a week, which shows longer delays are rare, but we recognise there is more to do to deliver a consistently high level of service everywhere.”

Meanwhile Royal Mail have installed three new postboxes in Derry at Spencer Road Post Office, The Rock Post Office (BT48 7PB) at the bottom of Meadowbank Avenue and the Park Avenue Post Office.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "Our postboxes of the future in Derry offer another convenient way for customers to access Royal Mail's services, alongside home delivery and collection, our Customer Service Points, Post Office branches, lockers and Royal Mail Shops.”