Club says post code mix-up could be putting lives at risk

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/dis ... s_at_risk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A SPORTS club secretary fears lives are being put at risk—because of a single letter.

Crown-green bowler Paddy Thomasson, aged 80, of Chorley, fell at Bradshaw Cricket, Tennis and Bowling Club.

But because ambulance satellite navigation are guided by the postcode of the pedestrian entrance in Rigby Lane, bowlers had to sprint to the entrance and guide paramedics to the vehicle entrance on Bolton Road following the incident on May 23.

And on February 5, Jean Sharman, aged 60, suffered a brain haemorrhage at her Rigby Lane home and Bolton Mountain Rescue vehicles struggled to find the address because of the postcode problem.

Club secretary Ken Hardman said: “Mrs Sharman died in hospital and no-one is suggesting her chances of survival would have increased had help got there sooner.

“And luckily, Paddy was all right after he was treated at the Royal Bolton Hospital but these two examples illustrate the potential for confusion and something needs to be done.”

He added: “I asked Royal Mail if the club’s postcode can be changed from BL2 3EL — the pedestrian entrance postcode — to BL2 3EU — the vehicle entrance postcode.

“A simple change of one letter could save lives.”

Mr Hardman has written to Royal Mail four times since March.

Royal Mail spokesman Heulyn Gwyn Davies said: “Our addressing code of practice allows to amend certain sections of the postal address in response to customer demand.

“We are concerned about the issue raised by the club, in particular about a lack of response from Royal Mail.

“We apologise for this and we will be contacting the club as soon as possible to determine how we can resolve this issue.”

The code of practice allows for postcodes to be changed if no-one who lives in the affected areas objects..

Mr Hardman said: “There are two homes in the affected postcodes and the owners are all club members who are behind us.”

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman invited club officials to provide them with specific instructions for reaching the club to avoid confusion.

[Lounge Lizard]

Royal Mail intropduced postcodes solely to accelerate the delivery of mail. If ambulance services or anyone else wants to use postcodes for whatever purpose that's fine but they must be aware of their limitations for anything else and could of course devise their own system if they're not happy with them.

[Mr Rush]

Royal Mail intropduced postcodes solely to accelerate the delivery of mail.

That's true, but now a lot of services use postcodes for determining locations via subscription to the Postcode Address File, which is quite financially lucrative for Royal Mail.

[PhilthyPhil]

Royal Mail have a scheme to capture the GPS coordinates of every delivery point to help with these sort of problems

http://www.royalmail.com/customer-service/pinpoint" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail have a scheme to capture the GPS coordinates of every delivery point to help with these sort of problems

http://www.royalmail.com/customer-service/pinpoint" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But that will be where the mail is delivered, rather than a public entrance. Also not sure if this exercise is going to be used other than as another earning stream for the RM coffers.

I really don't think RM want accuracy in addresses for delivery reasons, it would cost them to many hours.

[fishtank]

What did ambulance drivers do before SatNav?
Would it be difficult for the ambulance co-ordinator type person to have a note that said Bradshaw Cricket, Tennis and Bowling Club...vehicle entrance on Bolton Road?
I take it the SatNav isn't driving the ambulance.