Post ‘piles up’ at sorting offices amid warnings women could miss cancer screening letters

Post has been “piling up” at sorting offices during Royal Mail strikes, with an NHS mammographer warning that women could miss breast cancer screening letters.

The fresh wave of industrial action launched this week is understood to be “catastrophic for Christmas”, according to a union source, with Royal Mail staff already struggling to work through the “massive backlog” of letters and parcels caused by the previous round of strikes in October.

Royal Mail has confirmed that NHS mail is “prioritised for delivery in the days following strike action” but medical professionals have warned that patients could still miss a reminder to book their appointment, especially if they rely on paper letters rather than electronic communication.

Surinder Sapal, a superintendent mammographer in charge of the breast imaging unit at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Breast Screening Service, warned that women could miss their cancer screening letters due to the strikes, meaning they might not be prompted again for another three years.

“If a woman does not receive her letter, she won’t be prompted to book an appointment this time around, so her next opportunity to book could be three years later,” she told i.

If breast cancer is caught early in a routine screening, the patient could just have the lump removed with a lumpectomy rather than going through a mastectomy – which is a full breast removal, Ms Sapal explained. Missing a breast cancer screening also risks a small, non-palpable lump growing and spreading to the lymph nodes, signifying that the cancer has or will soon spread to other parts of the body.

Ms Sapal said the phone lines are usually busy when the postal service is working well, but since the strikes, they have seen “less and less women ring in to make an appointment”.

She said the Breast Imaging unit uses other forms of communication such as text messages and social media, but she has noticed that letters have a “bigger” and “better” effect on how many women ring up to make an appointment.

Ms Sapal advised women to note the date of their last breast screening appointment to ensure they know when to book in three years time, to avoid relying on the post. She also urged people to book their appointment as soon as they receive any form of communication from the NHS or their GP.

Current postal delays are only expected to get worse over the next month, with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) – representing 115,000 striking Royal Mail employees – predicting a “Christmas meltdown”.

A 48-hour walkout was launched on Wednesday, with further dates throughout December on Friday 9, Sunday 11, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 December.

The strikes are expected to have a huge effect on Christmas deliveries, with experts already warning that members of the Armed Forces may not get gifts and cards from loved ones in time.

The strikes went ahead this week after talks between the CWU and Royal Mail broke down. The union refused to accept the employer’s final pay offer, branding it a “devastating blow”.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson said: “We are doing everything we can to protect Christmas, while the CWU leadership are doing everything they can to destroy Christmas.”

However, Mr Thompson refused to answer whether he was present at the final talks with the CWU after the union claimed he was not in attendance. Mr Thompson said he was “always available” to resolve the dispute.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We can confirm that NHS mail is prioritised for delivery in the days following strike action.”