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Postal chiefs have admitted that staff sickness and vacancies in Inverness are at “high” levels after further complaints over late deliveries.
Fed-up residents and political figures have been sounding the alarm for years over what they argue is a deteriorating postal service, with deliveries sometimes running so late that people have reported being left for weeks without new bank cards or even missing hospital appointments.
Former Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey MP Drew Hendry even ran a campaign calling on Highland residents to blow the whistle on the state of the postal service where they lived, in a bid to build a picture of the true scale of the issue that he could then put before Royal Mail’s top brass.
The Communication Workers’ Union also warned last year that the postal system in the Highlands was “at breaking point”.
Mr Hendry lost his bid for re-election to Westminster during the General Election in July.
But complaints about the Royal Mail’s quality of service in the Highlands have continued to be raised by the region’s residents.
And after the Inverness Courier was contacted by further fed-up residents this week, the Royal Mail has admitted to having a staffing crisis in the region.
Acknowledging that sickness and vacancies in the city were currently “high”, a spokesperson for the group also acknowledged “ongoing issues” but stressed that it was ”working hard” to improve things and is actively recruiting.
They said: “Recruitment and sickness absence have been ongoing issues within our Inverness office. However, we would reassure residents that mail is being delivered throughout the area daily, with any routes not receiving their expected deliveries prioritised the following day.
“We’re working hard to improve the service locally and are currently recruiting for more staff.”
Claims by the Royal Mail that any missed deliveries are made a priority the following day, coupled with well publicised complaints reported elsewhere in the country, would suggest it is again at risk of falling short of the minimum standards required of it by law
Currently Ofcom rules state that it must deliver 93 per cent of first class mail within one working day of collections, and it must also complete 99.9 per cent of delivery routes on every day a delivery is required.
Indeed, just last month, the watchdog announced the launch of the next step in its review of Royal Mail’s services and obligations, stating: “In recent years, Royal Mail’s delivery performance has not been good enough. In the last five years, we have found it in breach of its quality of service obligations twice and fined it both times.[“
Certainly some Highland residents fear they are waiting many days or even weeks sometimes for the arrival of expected mail to land on their doorstep.
One such resident, is Inverness man Peter Hamling, who lives in the Leachkin area. He contacted the Inverness Courier after reporting problems to Royal Mail’s customer service after receiving no mail deliveries for nine days in a row.
He said: “We are waiting Hospital appointment letters and other mail and now have no confidence that we will receive our mail. I am sure other people in the area are also worried.”
Mr Hamling is not the first person to have reportedly been worried about missing medical appointments due to late mail, with Mr Hendry reporting just last year that some of his then constituents did not receive their appointment letters until after the appointment was meant to be held.
Mr Hamling meanwhile, said the staff at the Royal Mail helpline “looked up our postcode and told us that there had been no post delivered as [there were] staff off sick and are not able to deliver mail in our area”.
He added: “They were unable to advise us when deliveries would be resumed and advised us to complain.”
Have you had similar issues where you live? Get in touch at newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk
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