Emergency measures as illness disrupts Royal Mail parcel service

Emergency parcel measures have been enacted amid illness disruption to Royal Mail deliveries.

Earlier today (Monday, February 23), it was reported on social media that Royal Mail’s east Oxford delivery office was suffering some difficulties, with post and parcels for the surrounding areas suffering.

The postcodes the office serves are: OX3, OX4, OX33, OX44, OX49.

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Since then, the company has confirmed that is the case and said it is due to sickness.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “East Oxford Delivery Office has experienced a short-term increase in sickness absence, which has affected deliveries locally. “

The delivery business has since put in place temporary emergency measures to ensure that post is properly prioritised.

The spokesperson added: “We have brought in additional temporary staff to support the unit and improve reliability.

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“As a temporary measure, we are rotating deliveries so that any mail not delivered on its scheduled day is prioritised the next, and NHS correspondence continues to be delivered daily to protect customers awaiting important appointments.”

This comes less than a week after the East Oxford delivery office was listed among 111 UK offices that were struggling amid the weather.

The business said: “Adverse weather, including storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra in January, alongside higher-than-usual sick absence, has caused some short-term disruption to certain routes”.