Undercover

[TopperGas]

What is the outcome if RM are ever found to have broken the law, as we keep hearing it's "illegal" to prioritise parcels but the worst RM ever seem to get is a, in relative terms, a small annual fine from OFCOM?

Because that's what it says in the Postal Services Act. if the 'punishment' for breaking the provision
of the Act is stated in the Act itself I don't think that anybody's going to do any porridge for it:

Financial penalties

(1)If the Commission is satisfied that a licence holder—

(a)has contravened any condition of his licence, or

(b)is contravening any such condition,

the Commission may impose on the licence holder a penalty of such amount as is reasonable.

(2)No such penalty shall exceed 10 per cent. of the turnover of the licence holder (determined in accordance with provisions specified in an order made by the Secretary of State).

(3)The Commission may impose a penalty under this section in respect of a contravention of a licence condition irrespective of whether it has made or may make a final or provisional order in respect of that contravention.

So basically just a slap on the wrists, you can see why RM are prepared to take the fines whilst saving £m's on staffing costs, unless public pressure leads to OFCOM getting some teeth and imposing a decent fine you can't see it getting any better.

[Tman]

The only issue would be hospital appointments etc, but even my 70+ year old father deals with this online now, so they are dying out too.

Around here hospitals phone or text or even email to arrange appointments, and only send a confirmation letter out when the details are sorted. Saves time and money and the NHS don't have to rely on useless RM any more.

[Rve83ndxd]

Around here hospitals phone or text or even email to arrange appointments, and only send a confirmation letter out when the details are sorted. Saves time and money and the NHS don't have to rely on useless RM any more.

We get hospital appointments by text. Unfortunately they don't tell you where they are so lots of people turning up in the wrong place and missing appointments.

[stevejm]

What a pointless endeavour. Everyone knows that this is the case. You don’t need undercover reporters to expose an issue that has even been discussed by the government for nigh on a year now. They don’t care. I’d argue that people don’t care either. They would rather be their tat from Amazon than a bank statement.

The only issue would be hospital appointments etc, but even my 70+ year old father deals with this online now, so they are dying out too.

That's a pretty big issue!
NHS Cumbria does not send hospital appointments online under any circumstances.

That’s interesting. If that is the case, then yes it is a massive issue.

I wonder how many patients fail to attend appointments in Cumbria compared to an NHS which uses email?

There are some older people who are switched on enough to move with the times and use email - but I'd be fairly confident in saying that the older a person is the less savvy they are with technology. When you think of over eighties there are likely many who don't use email and they are amongst those who most need to get their hospital appointment notifications in a timely manner.

[priority102]

Yep, our postie knocked on my door at 8:15am Saturday with a tracked. She made no secret of telling me that the DOM had told her to just take parcels but make sure that the tracked were all delivered. No letters at all on her round Saturday.

[Kenfandango]

I missed a hospital appointment for my son last month, letter sent 5 weeks beforehand, arrived in the DO (I collect mine from the frame and they're pretty on top of the backlog) the day after the appointment.
Email would be useless as I have several email accounts and they all just attract trash that I filter through once a week

[TopperGas]

What a pointless endeavour. Everyone knows that this is the case. You don’t need undercover reporters to expose an issue that has even been discussed by the government for nigh on a year now. They don’t care. I’d argue that people don’t care either. They would rather be their tat from Amazon than a bank statement.

The only issue would be hospital appointments etc, but even my 70+ year old father deals with this online now, so they are dying out too.

That's a pretty big issue!
NHS Cumbria does not send hospital appointments online under any circumstances.

That’s interesting. If that is the case, then yes it is a massive issue.

I wonder how many patients fail to attend appointments in Cumbria compared to an NHS which uses email?

There are some older people who are switched on enough to move with the times and use email - but I'd be fairly confident in saying that the older a person is the less savvy they are with technology. When you think of over eighties there are likely many who don't use email and they are amongst those who most need to get their hospital appointment notifications in a timely manner.

Pretty certain my own NHS Trust doesn't use emails, DVLA certainly doesn't and if the Police etc ever want to contact you then they use the postal service.

[yellowbelly]

What a pointless endeavour. Everyone knows that this is the case. You don’t need undercover reporters to expose an issue that has even been discussed by the government for nigh on a year now. They don’t care. I’d argue that people don’t care either. They would rather be their tat from Amazon than a bank statement.

The only issue would be hospital appointments etc, but even my 70+ year old father deals with this online now, so they are dying out too.

That's a pretty big issue!
NHS Cumbria does not send hospital appointments online under any circumstances.

That’s interesting. If that is the case, then yes it is a massive issue.

I wonder how many patients fail to attend appointments in Cumbria compared to an NHS which uses email?

There are some older people who are switched on enough to move with the times and use email - but I'd be fairly confident in saying that the older a person is the less savvy they are with technology. When you think of over eighties there are likely many who don't use email and they are amongst those who most need to get their hospital appointment notifications in a timely manner.

Pretty certain my own NHS Trust doesn't use emails, DVLA certainly doesn't and if the Police etc ever want to contact you then they use the postal service.

For emails/texts and/or letters from NHS to be received it's also dependant on the NHS records being kept up to date. I deliver letters for the local surgery and school and it's surprising how many people change address within the local area but don't remember to update those organizations in particular with their new address! Same principal applies with email address and mobile phone numbers.

[LouBarlow]

It is missing the wider point though. People are paying for a service they aren’t receiving. It borders on fraud to sell a stamp when you have no intention of delivering the letter it is attached to.

[Acca Dacca]

It is missing the wider point though. People are paying for a service they aren’t receiving. It borders on fraud to sell a stamp when you have no intention of delivering the letter it is attached to.

It'd only be fraud if there was no intention of delivering the letter it is attached to at all.

It WILL get delivered.....eventually

First class/second class has no guarantee of delivery date - if it had to be delivered next day then you can still pay for that guarantee.

It is however shameful to pretend to the public that the stamped letter is prioritised equally with tracked parcels.

[TopperGas]

It is missing the wider point though. People are paying for a service they aren’t receiving. It borders on fraud to sell a stamp when you have no intention of delivering the letter it is attached to.

It'd only be fraud if there was no intention of delivering the letter it is attached to at all.

It WILL get delivered.....eventually

First class/second class has no guarantee of delivery date - if it had to be delivered next day then you can still pay for that guarantee.

It is however shameful to pretend to the public that the stamped letter is prioritised equally with tracked parcels.

Whilst it's not a guarantee the clear indications are RM will attempt to deliver 1st class letters the following day, Tracked 24 as a similar aim but we all know which is more likely to be delivered on the following day.

[Mike G]

I missed a hospital appointment for my son last month, letter sent 5 weeks beforehand, arrived in the DO (I collect mine from the frame and they're pretty on top of the backlog) the day after the appointment.
Email would be useless as I have several email accounts and they all just attract trash that I filter through once a week

So that suggests that the delay lies with the NHS or whoever they use to get their mail as far as the MC? (Possibly a DSA competitor)?

[theotherone]

I think sometimes the trouble is the NHS hold stuff to send it bulk. So the date on the letter makes it look terrible.

[neil1969]

No idea how anyone currently working for Royal mail can defend the service that is currently being provided against the service it is legally obligated to do.