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Residents have raised concerns over the town’s ‘unreliable’ postal service and the lack of regular deliveries, with local MP Anna Sabine campaigning for an improved service for Frome.
Over recent months, residents have reported waiting up to two weeks between postal deliveries, with some claiming to have received only three deliveries in six months. There have also been reports of missed hospital appointments due to delays in receiving letters, while others have cited issues with missing medication that was supposed to be delivered via post but never arrived.
One resident shared their frustration, saying, “At the start of December, I phoned the sorting office and ended up collecting 20 items of post at once. Some of it had been posted as far back as 14th November. For a town of over 27,000 people, surely we deserve better.”
Another resident reported that their street often went a full week without any postal deliveries.
Royal Mail recently came under national scrutiny, having been fined £10.5 million by Ofcom for missing delivery targets. The company has been officially acquired by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský for £3.6 billion. Last month the takeover of the company by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský for £3.6 billion was approved.
MP Anna Sabine has called the situation “unacceptable,” saying she put out a call on social media to hear about local experiences, and over 200 residents responded.
She said, “This is clearly a major problem across the country and specifically here in Frome. I have heard from many residents whose issues range from the disappointing non-arrival of children’s birthday cards to missing crucial hospital appointments and having to be put back onto long waiting lists.
“This is not the fault of the hard-working postal workers that are endeavouring to deliver what they can, but clearly a much larger issue of management, especially in such a rural area where many count on the post as a crucial service.
“They have a service obligation. Some of the post that people are due to be getting is really critical. The situation is severely impacting their lives.
“The Royal Mail is a British institution and a key service for people across the country and in Frome and East Somerset. It’s extremely disappointing to think it might be based elsewhere than in the UK and it’s imperative that the service is improved immediately, as the current system simply isn’t good enough.”
A spokesperson for Royal Mail defended the service, citing adverse weather and high staff sickness levels. “Recent challenges, including Storm Darragh, have impacted deliveries. However, contingency plans are in place, and the service is improving day by day,” they said.
The MP said she had also received information that Royal Mail was ‘prioritising’ Amazon deliveries over letters. She said, “If Royal Mail are telling people across the country to prioritise parcels over post, that is a really significant national problem that we all need to be sorting out.”
On the issue of parcel prioritisation, Royal Mail said, “Every letter and parcel is important to us. During exceptionally busy periods like Christmas, it is sometimes logistically necessary to clear parcels out of our delivery offices first. Parcels take up far more space than letters, and their sheer number during the festive season means they can build up, block walkways and present a health and safety risk to posties.
“Removing them first allows all mail, including letters, to keep moving and is a necessary part of our planning. Ofcom reported last year: ‘We did not identify any suggestion that Royal Mail senior management had directed the prioritisation of parcels over letters outside of recognised contingency plans.’”
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