Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact

Pharmacies have been talking to Royal Mail about minimising the impact of postal strikes and making sure people still get their medication, i has learnt.

More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay with members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) backing the action.

Although the dates of the strike have not yet been confirmed, it is thought they will probably be in August and are likely to affect a many areas of Britain.

This could include people waiting for hospital letters, prescriptions and other important correspondence.

As a result, Royal Mail confirmed it has been in communication with pharmacies which deliver medication to ensure that there is as little disruption as possible.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We have detailed contingency plans in place for industrial action, which include mechanisms to prioritise items, including critical government mailings, NHS letters and medical prescriptions wherever we can.

“In the event of industrial action, we will endeavour to process mail as quickly as possible to minimise customer disruption and keep people, businesses and the country connected.”

Royal Mail said it had made plans to ensure pharmacies know about any strikes in advance so they can contact customers and advise them to send in their prescription requests in advance if necessary.

Organisations such as the NHS will also be prioritised after the strike action to ensure important letters reach their recipients as soon as possible.

Although Royal Mail said it could not advise how this would be done, so as not to compromise the safety of the mail, it assured i it would do everything to ensure important letters would be delivered as quickly as possible.

Pharmacies are now directly contacting customers to advise them of the possible disruption.

Pharmacy2U, a large pharmacy delivery firm, emailed its customers saying: “We’re writing to you as you may have seen the news about potential strike action impacting Royal Mail deliveries. If a strike goes ahead, it is likely to take place in August.

“We would like to reassure you that we are working closely with Royal Mail to ensure that even if a strike does take place, there is minimum disruption to Pharmacy2U deliveries, so your medication is delivered when you need it.

“We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves; and will keep you informed if a strike does go ahead.

“In the meantime, please continue to order as usual, 10 working days before you need it, which gives GPs, our pharmacists and Royal Mail plenty of time to deliver your medication. We’ll be in touch again if there are any updates.”

A Lloyds Pharmacy spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the Royal Mail to ensure medications are prioritised and disruption is minimised for any patients expecting deliveries via our online prescription service, LloydsDirect.”