Royal Mail failings described as 'chaos' for Fife

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline West, has criticised the new postal system — calling it "chaos" — after being bombarded with complaints from constituents about mail deliveries.

Some post has arrived with English postmarks and weeks behind its due date. Mr Tolson said there are "major problems" in west Fife and he feels it is caused by the change in the mail system, which has also hit areas of Dundee.

"The mail problem means that some people are missing medical appointments due to the mail not being delivered in time," he said. "Personally I am still waiting on mail which is over a month late.

"Some of the problems were not helped by the weather but some of the major difficulties are down to the new system, which was introduced before the Christmas rush.

"I feel the new system is not working and I have emailed correspondence to Royal Mail telling them this."

Mr Tolson said he has spoken to mail staff who have admitted that there are massive backlogs of mail to deal with.

"I have spoken informally with postmen who have said there is a huge backlog of mail in Dunfermline and Edinburgh," he added. "People are not only waiting on Christmas mail being delivered but the likes of legal bills. The Royal Mail need to look at this new system as it is causing chaos."

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said the new mail system had been introduced in Dunfermline in November.

"If people have complaints about receiving mail they should contact our customer service department," she said. "Deliveries of mail have taken place every day in Dunfermline. There were some issues with rural areas due to the roads but not with Dunfermline itself.
Medical appointment

Meanwhile, a medical matter has joined the list of complaints about Tayside mail services after an appointment letter took more than six weeks to be delivered from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to Angus.

The letter was sent to a woman on November 15, but by the time it dropped through her letterbox less than 20 miles away last Thursday, the December 7 appointment had long passed.

"I was expecting an appointment and although it's not a serious matter it could have been," said the woman.

"I am sure that I am not the only one in this situation and there will be other patients who will be anxious about important appointments arriving," she added.

The woman understands the letter would have passed through the under-fire Dundee East delivery office, which is continuing to work through a huge backlog of undelivered mail.

"Apart from this being slow service, it means that people will be missing important appointments like this, and with the difficulties the weather has created in the last month that is the last thing the health service needs.

"It really is just awful that a letter could take so long to arrive from Dundee and I am not surprised at the number of complaints they are getting," added the woman.

[redspartapost]

was at a family dinner today and my sisters friend who stays in dumferline said she hadnt received all the x mas cards she usually gets.i pointed out she was getting the 3rd worse service in scotland after dd4 and dd5(though through no fault of her hard working posties ) suggested she should join this site to find out what is really happening.then write to her msp/mp and councillor complaining about lack of service