North Northumberland MP David Smith has called on Royal Mail to resolve issues that have caused significant postal delays for residents, with some constituents reportedly waiting weeks for post.
MP raises concerns with Royal Mail management
Mr Smith said constituents had been left "frustrated" after waiting "weeks" for post. He met with company management during Labour Party Conference to raise concerns about delayed deliveries, including important letters relating to healthcare, bills and employment.
He has previously brought the issue of postal delays to Royal Mail, Ofcom and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and has joined other MPs in calling for stronger action to improve performance and restore confidence in the postal service.
Impact on residents
Mr Smith said: "Residents in North Northumberland are frustrated by post arriving late, sometimes days or even weeks after it was expected. For many people here, especially older residents, the postal service isn't a luxury, it's an essential part of everyday life.
"Delays to appointment letters, bills, contracts and other important correspondence can have real consequences. I’m still hearing about these problems despite the cycle change Royal Mail has brought in that was meant to improve its service.
"Small delays can have a big impact, and some of the cases raised with my office involved post arriving weeks late. I also know how much pressure our postmen and women are under.
"This isn't about the frontline staff who work hard to serve our communities. Royal Mail needs to listen to the concerns being raised by both customers and postal workers and make sure staff have the support they need to deliver the service people expect."
Royal Mail response
Mr Smith added: "Royal Mail has set out plans to improve its performance, and I want to see those improvements delivered in practice. My constituents aren’t interested in targets or regulations; they just want their post to arrive on time. I'll continue raising residents' concerns with Royal Mail and Ofcom until we see the reliable service that people in North Northumberland need and deserve."
Royal Mail has admitted that certain routes can be affected by "local issues". First class performance has increased by 10% in the last financial year.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We know how important it is that customers receive their mail when expected, particularly important items such as hospital appointments.
"Mail continues to be delivered across Northumberland every day, although individual routes can occasionally be affected by short-term local issues. Where this happens, our teams work to deliver any outstanding mail as quickly as possible.
"Our latest published figures show that First Class performance in the NE postcode area is improving, rising from 75.1% delivered the next working day at the end of the last financial year to 85.2% in our latest results.
"We know there is more to do and are investing £500 million over five years to improve reliability. We are making significant changes across our network, including rolling out our new delivery model across all 1,200 delivery offices, which will help provide a more reliable and consistent service for customers across the UK."
The latest performance for the TD postcode area around Berwick has risen to 87.8% of First Class letters delivered the next-working-day.
