Mid Ulster District Council: Hospital patients missing appointments due to late postal deliveries

The issue of delayed postal deliveries was raised at the December 18 meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, with Royal Mail and courier service Evri being singled out for criticism.

Crucially, some councillors claimed hospital appointments are regularly being missed as a result of their constituents not receiving appointment letters in a timely fashion.

Royal Mail had been contacted in relation to delayed deliveries in Dungannon and Clogher Valley, and the company stressed in correspondence to the local authority that steps are being taken to improve the situation.

Royal Mail Corporate Communications Campaigns Manager Lily Sheehan said: “We are actively modernising Royal Mail, and these efforts are beginning to deliver results, but there is still more to do.

“We will continue to focus on the actions within our control, realigning delivery rounds, improving sick absence and looking at our recruitment campaigns in low unemployment areas, but this is not something we can fix alone.

“Universal Service reform is essential to provide a more reliable and sustainable service for the benefit of all our customers.

“The acknowledgement you received in reply to your enquiry requested address information.

“If you could please share an address or postcode, we can look into this further and update you.”

In the run-up to Christmas, dozens of customers in Northern Ireland shared stories of missing, delayed or incorrectly marked deliveries in recent weeks.

Evri opened a new £1.3m depot in Mallusk, Co Antrim, in September, which the company says has handled millions of parcels since opening. However, the GMB union, which represents some Evri staff, has said the site has experienced “teething issues” that have contributed to delays.

Responding to wider criticism, Evri has previously said it is investing tens of millions of pounds nationally, including in tracking technology, and that most of its couriers provide a reliable service.

DUP councillor James Burton said he had been contacted by many constituents regarding delivery issues.

“The problem is still ongoing. Since this was raised, there’s multiple people that have come forward to me to say they’re getting two weeks’ [worth of] letters, all in one delivery,” he said.

“So, it is a problem, and I know that Royal Mail want examples of the addresses where the problem is occurring, and I think if you had to name them, you could just name everybody, to be honest.”

He said that in relation to hospital appointment letters “surely there should be a better system in place?”

“So, could I make a proposal that we write to the Health Minister on this here, to get his take on it?

“Could this system be more efficient, be better? Because at the end of the day, people are missing their health appointments.”

Mr Burton’s proposal was seconded by Council Chair and DUP colleague Frances Burton.

Independent councillor Dan Kerr mentioned similar issues in relation to parcel delivery company Evri, claiming: “Just a similar issue to what Councillor Burton has raised about Royal Mail – I’ve been having issues with Evri, about packages going missing.

“I had numerous issues with packages not being delivered, and a lack of communication for residents to try and get updates. I’m sure other locally-elected reps have got the same.

“I would like to propose we write to Evri and request a face-to-face meeting to try and get some of these issues ironed out, because our residents deserve much better.”

Ulster Unionist councillor Trevor Wilson suggested amending Mr Burton’s proposal to also recommend securing a meeting with Royal Mail, while also reaching out to Evri to highlight similar issues.

He added: “I don’t think we’ve ever had a meeting with Royal Mail, and I know you’re [going to write] to the Minister about [hospital] appointments, but could you ask Royal Mail to come along and to explain?

“Because there’s a number of issues around Castlecaulfield as well where mail is not being delivered.

“And equally, Councillor Kerr has raised the issue about Evri. I have to say, that’s the biggest complaint at the moment.

“The other issue with Evri is the fact that people are now panicking, because they’re worrying now [about] their parcels not coming in as well.

“I think we’d be doing extremely well if we got a response from Evri, but I think we should do whatever we can.

“So, if James (Burton) was happy, I think we should add that in.”

News Catch Up – Monday 5 January

Mr Burton indicated that he was happy for his proposal to be amended accordingly.

Sinn Fein councillor Eugene McConnell referred to a particular area where delayed postal delivery appears to be an ongoing issue, and concurred with the comments about the reply from Royal Mail.

“Like the previous speakers, I too had been on to Royal Mail in relation to 11 out of 13 houses on the Derrycloony Road in Augher having this similar problem,” he said.

“What really galls me, and what really annoys the residents, is the fact that when you contact Royal Mail, and you get through to the sorting office in Armagh, they fob you off, they tell you they can’t do nothing, but you have to lodge a complaint.”

He described the situation as “intolerable”.

“So, I think all those issues need to be addressed and confronted directly with them, because [out of] 11 constituents on the [Derrycloony] Road, three of them were waiting on hospital appointments, and [the letters] arrived almost a week after the hospital appointment was supposed to happen.

“The quicker that we can organise that meeting, the better.

“And I think just their attitude, and the way that they’re just fobbing everybody off, is no excuse for what’s happening,” Mr McConnell further claimed.

Mr Burton agreed, saying: “People are waiting and are anxious about their appointments, and the waste of money that it also is for the health service.

“The nurses and doctors are waiting on a patient coming, and it’s the patient getting the blame [even though] they haven’t got the appointment [letter].

“So, anything we can do, we need to be looking about it.”