Royal Mail: North East concerns on potential letter delay

Officials are seeking views on how to update the Royal Mail postal service, which could potentially include delaying bulk mail letters – which include NHS appointment letters, court documents, fines or new bank cards.

Switching from a two-day service to a three-day service could save Royal Mail up to £650 million, according to a new consultation by the regulator Ofcom.

But MPs in the North East have expressed their concern for the proposed changes - and have noted that constituents have already faced large-scale issues in not getting important letters in time for NHS appointments and bills.

The Royal Mail (Image: PA MEDIA)

Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, has said that some of his constituents have already been in contact about missing NHS letters, and has warned about how this could worsen under the proposed measures. 

He said: “I have had several constituents raising issues with Royal Mail with me in recent months.

"Everything from bills arriving late, or not at all before a red-letter reminder, to missed NHS appointments. It is simply unacceptable when so many of us rely on Royal Mail for such important things. 

"Ten years on from George Osborne selling Royal Mail off at a knock-down rate, it’s a failure of management from the top down; something which Royal Mail workers themselves are all too clear on.

"Royal Mail’s priorities are now about profit rather than providing the service for which they were once celebrated."

Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Mr Cunningham also claimed that the Royal Mail is being "run into the ground" and services are "getting worse".

He added: " When Royal Mail was first privatised, the Coalition Government claimed that the changes would never affect postal delivery.

"The then Business Secretary, Vince Cable, claimed that it would guarantee a continuation of its universal service obligation of a six-day-a-week delivery schedule.

"Ten years later, it is abundantly clear that the Royal Mail is being run into the ground and services are getting worse through no fault of the postal workers themselves."

The Stockton North MP isn't the only representative being critical about the Royal Mail and the way that the organisation is run. 

Easington MP Grahame Morris (Image: UK PARLIAMENT)

Easington MP Grahame Morris has also called for Royal Mail to improve. 

He said: “The Royal Mail is failing to deliver, and like other catastrophic privatisations, profits are extracted while service deteriorates. Over £2 billion has been paid out to shareholders, yet the first-class stamp price has doubled, and Royal Mail delivers less than three-quarters of first-class mail on time.

"This has led to patients missing hospital appointments, which then impacts on health outcomes and NHS productivity.

"Ofcom floating the idea of reforms to the Universal Service Obligation would be rewarding failure. Royal Mail postmen and women deliver a world-class service, but they have been badly let down since privatisation and with corporate failure."

These concerns put forward by Mr Cunningham and Mr Morris aren't exclusive to the North East, with Healthwatch England, NHS Providers, the Patients Association and National Voices, also issuing a plea to Ofcom and the Royal Mail to rethink their strategy.

NHS letters could be delayed as a result of the proposed changes (Image: PA MEDIA)

In a joint letter, the health leaders said: “When appointment letters and other communications from the NHS are delayed, patient safety is put at risk, while NHS teams must deal with the fall-out of missed appointments.”

A letter from the organisations, which has been sent to Ofcom, NHS England, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins and Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake, added: “For the patients themselves, we know that the impact of missing appointments can include ongoing pain, worsening symptoms, poor mental health, and disrupted sleep.

“Missed appointments, lost referrals and other communication failures can also lead to people losing their place on NHS waiting lists, often having to go back to square one.”

The letter, which has been published online, continues: “Plans to further delay posting of letters will undoubtedly make the issues highlighted in this letter more widespread.

“We ask that the proposals are scrapped and priority is given to ensuring that patients letters already delayed arrive on time.”

In response to the concerns raised by MPs and health groups, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Ensuring that we can provide a reliable service for NHS letters is at the forefront of our mind when considering any potential reform to the Universal Service, and we are engaging with several NHS organisations to discuss the various options set out in Ofcom’s consultation.

“Ofcom’s report demonstrates that when letter volumes have fallen from 20 billion a year to only seven billion, reform is urgently needed to protect the future of the one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service.

“We recognise that timely delivery of NHS letters is vitally important, and we look forward to engaging with Healthwatch, NHS Providers, the Patients Association and National Voices to find the right solutions for the delivery of vital NHS communications as part of the process.”

Ofcom (Image: PA MEDIA)

A spokesperson for Ofcom added: “At this stage, we’ve not made any proposals to change the universal postal service. We’ve set out evidence suggesting it risks becoming unsustainable if we don’t take action, as people send fewer letters and receive more parcels.

“We have laid out some potential options so there can be a national discussion about its long-term future.

"We want stakeholders to submit their evidence and views on this, including consumers and senders of bulk mail such as NHS letters, and discuss with us the potential impacts on people and businesses.”

Recommended:

• Mary Kelly Foy writes of the battle to save Leazes footbridge
• Grant Shapps says Catterick Garrison has bright future
• Ben Houchen's response to Michael Gove over Teesworks review

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £2 for 2 months for a limited time only here.

When quizzed over regional targets for Royal Mail services, The Northern Echo was told over the quarter, from 25 September to 3 December 2023, Royal Mail delivered 90.2 per cent of Second Class mail within three working days.

For First Class mail, 70.1 per cent arrived within one working day and 94.4 per cent within three days of posting.

However, these were national levels and targets - with Royal Mail not having regional figures.

Alistair Cochrane, chief operating officer of the Royal Mail, said: “Improving the reliability of our service is our top priority. We are investing heavily in our network and working hard to deliver the service our customers deserve.

“This requires structural changes which are already underway but vitally, it requires urgent reform to the Universal Service Obligation which in its current form is not sustainable.”