A Kent woman has criticised Royal Mail after important health documents for her husband failed to arrive on three separate occasions, despite paying £25.99 for next-day delivery. Angela Haywood, from Kent, said the delays have caused her significant stress, waking up at night worrying about the situation. She has now resorted to delivering most of her Christmas cards by hand due to a loss of faith in the service.
BBC South East has received multiple reports from others affected by postal delays in the region, which have led to missed hospital appointments. Lewes MP Maria Caulfield described the level of service as 'unacceptable' and has requested a meeting with Royal Mail after being 'inundated' with complaints from constituents. Crawley MP Henry Smith has called for Royal Mail to be brought back into public ownership, noting its privatisation in 2015.
One postal worker told the BBC that staff have 'no pride to work there anymore' following major contract changes after privatisation. They cited a 'staff shortage' and described Royal Mail as a 'dreadful company to work for', adding that customers have 'no benefit'. The worker also noted that parcels receive priority delivery as they take up more space in sorting offices.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'Our posties are an integral part of Christmas, connecting loved ones and we are proud of the work they do. Since the summer, we have recruited more than 7,000 postmen and women, and in the lead up to Christmas we have held a recruitment campaign hiring up to 16,000 seasonal workers.'
