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Ongoing postal delays in the north west are leaving patients at risk of being removed from medical waiting lists after missing appointments due to late letters, an MP has warned.
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood highlighted the “dire” situation in Derry and elsewhere caused by late postal deliveries, with some people waiting over a year for treatment feeling “like they’re back at square one”.
The SDLP rep said constituents had contacted him to say they had received letters from the Western Health and Social Care Trust warning they would be removed from waiting lists if they did not reply by a set date.
However, by the time the letters arrived, the date had already passed.
In December, it emerged that Royal Mail had drafted in staff from England to help tackle a huge backlog in Derry, where it was claimed postal staff were prioritising parcels over letters.
Last October, Stormont health minister Mike Nesbitt revealed over 460,000 medical appointments in the north have been missed since 2020.
Mr Eastwood said the Derry delays were leading to “very serious consequences”.
“I know of constituents who have received urgent letters from the Western Trust informing them of appointment slots weeks after the slot has passed,” he said.
“In some cases that has led to follow-up letters informing them that because they missed an appointment, they will be removed from the waiting list unless they reply within a set period.
“These letters have also arrived late. It is a completely unacceptable situation that is driving vulnerable and sick people to despair.
“No one should have their place on a health waiting list placed in jeopardy because Royal Mail is failing so comprehensively against their service obligations. But that is what we’re now seeing.”
The MP said he had spoken with postal workers who feel “unsupported by Royal Mail to deal with the volume of deliveries they’re given with the number of staff available”.
“The push to prioritise packages to compete with couriers like Amazon is only making the situation far more acute,” he added.
“I have written to the Health Minister at Stormont and the Minister with responsibility for Postal Services at Westminster to raise these issues and identify if this is a wider issue. People who are waiting for treatment in the health service should not be placed in this position. It is unfair, it creates additional stress and it needs to be addressed urgently.”
Following the release of data last year showing the number of missed appointments, the health minister said that in order to minimise the problem, health trusts “have implemented text messaging reminders for upcoming appointments”.
He added: “These reminders not only prompt patients to attend, but also provides an opportunity to cancel or reschedule in adequate time if they are unable to attend. This ensures that valuable appointment slots can be offered to other patients.”
The Department of Health, Western Trust and Royal Mail were approached for comment.
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