Residents missing appointments due to postal delays

RESIDENTS in Castlederg and surrounding areas are missing vital appointments and deliveries due to ongoing postal delays. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her mail can arrive up to 17 days late, severely impacting her daily life.

“I can’t rely on the post. Most of my letters and deliveries arrive five days late, but some can take up to 17 days,” she told the UH. “I’ve been laucky not to miss any doctor appointments so far, but one letter informing me of an appointment arrived on the morning of it. The same happened with our vehicle insurance; the renewal alert came on the day of the deadline, and the letter was over two weeks late.”

She added, “I know I live rurally, so some delays are expected, but the service we’re getting is not fit for purpose. I’ve complained to Royal Mail multiple times, but nothing has changed.”

Sinn Féin councillor Ruairí McHugh has contacted Royal Mail regarding the “unprecedented volume of complaints” from his constituents in Castlederg’s urban and rural areas about delivery delays.

“The deterioration in Royal Mail’s service has been an ongoing issue, but the volume and range of complaints I’m now receiving is unprecedented,” said Cllr McHugh. “Mail arriving two weeks late has become common, causing people to miss medical appointments or receive important correspondence too late.”

He also noted that some residents have received texts from Royal Mail claiming delivery attempts were made when, in fact, no delivery had been attempted, as confirmed by CCTV. Cllr McHugh has contacted Royal Mail, seeking an explanation and assurances that steps will be taken to address the issues.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said, “We are committed to delivering all items on time. Unfortunately, high levels of sick absence recently impacted deliveries in Castlederg, but we have since caught up and put measures in place, including additional training and recruitment of agency staff, to improve the service.”