Upset as letter from hospice is delivered weeks after patient dies

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Upset ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BLUNDERS over letter deliveries is causing upset to bereaved families, according to a senior manager at St Andrew's Hospice.

Jane Whenham-White, head of income generation at the Grimsby hospice, received a letter three weeks after she lost her father, inviting him to attend a patient group course. By coincidence it was a letter sent by St Andrew's Hospice and was posted on September 15. But it arrived on October 27. That was three weeks after Keith Whenham, 89, of Fotherby House, near Louth, passed away.

Jane said: "I could have delivered it myself quicker on foot. How many others has it happened to? This is the Royal Mail's fault. It annoyed me. We have had problems like this over the past 18 months."

Ms Whenham-White added: "We do a lot of mailing and spend a lot sending out 30,000 letters. We make sure our data is up-to-date to avoid causing unnecessary distress. If they are upset by a letter which arrives late they are not going to support us. It is appalling."

Steve Buckley, chairman and chief executive office for Royal Mail, said: "I am sorry to hear of the concerns raised. I fully appreciate how important it is for our customers to have confidence in our ability to ensure their mail is delivered safely and on time. This is particularly important due to the sensitively of the letters. I have contacted the Grimsby Delivery Office manager and the Louth Delivery Office manager, who confirm that all mail received in their respective offices for each corresponding address of St Andrew's Hospice, Grimsby and Fotherby House, Louth, is processed and sent out on delivery the day it is received in each office. Both offices adhere to a clear address frame policy and this is checked on a daily basis.

"Unfortunately, it is very difficult to know exactly where problems occur as we don't keep records of standard mail. We are not complacent with such failures and we proactively use the information to drive improvements.

"A reliable service is a key priority for Royal Mail, and I am sorry to hear that St Andrew's Hospice experiences have not reflected that commitment."

[thehappyones]

don't know about any other Mail Centre but the Re-wrap and infringements sections aren't always staffed and therefore there is always a build up of mail or back log...there are loads of time critical mail that sits in these sections