Royal Mail ‘CHAOS’ slammed by MPs as 100 postcodes hit with delays

The committee highlighted “significant concerns about the quality of the postal service being provided by Royal Mail”, noting that disruption has persisted into mid-February.

Service delays have been flagged across 38 delivery offices, impacting approximately 100 postcodes nationwide, attributed to elevated staff sickness levels.

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The parliamentary committee also raised allegations that Royal Mail may be deliberately withholding correspondence until sufficient items accumulate for a single address, a practice referred to as “batching”.

This alleged practice of “batching” letters, if true, clearly risks customers missing important time-sensitive information such as medical appointments, as well as impacting upon Royal Mail’s delivery performance,” the committee stated.

Earlier this week, a BBC investigation revealed instances of post being retained at sorting offices for weeks, resulting in recipients failing to receive urgent correspondence, including hospital appointment notifications and financial statements, in a timely manner.

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According to Royal Mail, major organisations dispatching large volumes of correspondence, including banks and the NHS, increasingly opt for a service delivering items five days after posting rather than selecting first or second-class options.

Under this arrangement, such items are dispatched alongside first or second-class mail or on the fifth day following posting, which can create the impression of letters being grouped together upon arrival.

The postal operator acknowledged that adverse weather conditions and staff absences have resulted in short-term disruption affecting certain delivery routes.

Royal Mail confirmed receipt of the committee’s correspondence and indicated it would provide a comprehensive response.

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A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We understand how frustrating it is when post does not arrive as expected, and we want to reassure customers that the vast majority of mail is delivered as planned.”

The postal service maintained that problems such as inclement weather and workforce absences had caused temporary difficulties on specific routes.

Royal Mail added that when delays do impact a particular route, the company takes action to deploy additional resources with the aim of restoring normal service at the earliest opportunity.

Here is a full list of the postcodes that will be impacted by Royal Mail’s latest delivery disruption:

• Aberdare DO (CF44, CF45)
• Ashington DO (NE22, NE62, NE63, NE64)
• Banbridge DO (BT32)
• Beverley DO (HU11, HU17, HU18)
• Brechin DO (DD9)
• Brierley Hill DO (DY5)
• Chichester DO (PO18 – PO20)
• Chipping Norton DO (OX7)
• Daventry DO (NN11)
• Glasgow G15 DO (G15)
• Glasgow G52 DO (G52, G53)
• Helston DO (TR12, TR13)
• Hull Central DO (HU1-HU3, HU5, HU9, HU12, HU19)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14, SK16)
• Kingswood DO (BS15, BS30)
• Kirkcaldy DO (KY1 – KY3)
• Leicester East DO (LE2, LE5-LE7)
• Lichfield DO (WS7, WS13, WS14)
• Lisburn DO (BT26-BT28)
• Lochgelly DO (KY5)
• Lutterworth DO (LE9, LE17)
• Maida Hill DO (W9)
• North Tyneside DO (NE25-NE30)
• Oxford East DO (OX3, OX4, OX33, OX44, OX49)
• Penarth DO (CF64)
• Pendle DO (BB8, BB9)
• Pontefract DO (WF7, WF8, WF9, WF11)
• Pontyclun DO (CF72)
• Prenton DO (CH43)
• Shrewsbury DO (SY1-SY5)
• Sileby SPDO (LE12)
• Sleaford DO (NG34)
• South Shields DO (NE33, NE34)
• Sunderland DO (SR1-SR6, SR9)
• Swan House DO (LE1, LE3, LE7-LE9, LE19, LE95)
• Swindon DO (SN1, SN2, SN3, SN6, SN25, SN26, SN38, SN99)
• Waterlooville DO (PO7-PO8)
• Whitwood DO (WF6, WF10).