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27
Oct
MP accuses Royal Mail of putting Harrogate hospital patients lives at risk
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has accused the Royal Mail of putting hospital patients’ lives at risk.
Liberal Democrat Mr Gordon spoke during a Commons debate yesterday (October 26) on the performance of Royal Mail, which is owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
Several MPs criticised the company for failing to deliver post on time.
Mr Gordon highlighted the impact of late deliveries on Harrogate District Hospital patients.
He said:
Earlier today, I opened the new Friends of Harrogate Hospital garden at the hospital. I spoke with the chief executive, who made the point that Royal Mail has told them that NHS appointments are meant to be prioritised, but the reality that we are all experiencing clearly shows that that is not the case. Does he agree that Royal Mail needs to pull its finger out, so that lives are not lost as a result of its negligence?
Christopher Bloore, the Labour MP for Redditch who instigated the debate, said he agreed with Mr Gordon.
Mr Bloore, who presented a petition to Parliament this year calling for Royal Mail to provide an adequate postal delivery service, said there was “no justification for failing to deliver the expected service”.
He added:
Royal Mail must deliver 90% of its first-class letters the next working day. It is managing 85%. Against the target of completing 99.9% of delivery routes each day, it is completing just 70%. Those targets have been missed for five years running, while the price of a first-class stamp has risen by 137% to £1.80 and the price of a first-class medium parcel, where Royal Mail competes, has fallen by half.
Mr Bloore also accused regulator Ofcom of failing to hold Royal Mail to account.
The Stray Ferret asked Royal Mail to respond to the claims made in Parliament.
A spokesperson said:
Our latest independently measured figures show that 89.4% of first-class letters across the Harrogate postcode area were delivered the next working day, up from 78.9% earlier this year.
We take our responsibility to deliver important medical correspondence very seriously. During exceptionally busy periods, we have processes in place to prioritise time-sensitive mail, including barcoded NHS letters.
Mail continues to be delivered across Harrogate every day, and our teams are focused on building on these improvements and providing customers with a reliable service.
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