NHS LETTERS GO ASTRAY

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Bet the Regular Postie Got an Earful

LIZ PERKINS
HEALTH REPORTER

09:00 - 18 January 2008

Confidential Nhs letters and medical supplies have been mistakenly posted to a Swansea woman's home for a year.Helen Maggs said she is sick and tired of parcels and letters, including confidential information about patients, landing on the doormat of her Pontardawe home, instead of being sent to Central Clinic in Orchard Street.

The 40-year-old breast cancer sufferer, of Orchard Street, Pontardawe, has lodged a series of complaints with Royal Mail about the situation, but mail is still arriving at her home.

Concerns about the situation have also been raised by Swansea NHS Trust.

Royal Mail has pledged to look into the matter and double check the delivery of all letters to her address.

Ms Maggs said: "For the past year I have had letters delivered non-stop for Central Clinic, in 21 Orchard Street.

"The letters have got the correct postcodes for the centre on them but it's got to the point that I am receiving medical supplies.

"I have had two people from Royal Mail come round asking me to pick up my mail and I have told them 'no' because it's for a Swansea medical centre.

"I'm having letters coming through, one had the details of a five-month-old baby - if it got into the wrong hands it would be awful.

"I have been on the phone to Royal Mail about it."

She said she feared that her mail could be going astray.

"I wonder if my mail is going to Central Clinic," she added.

A spokeswoman for Swansea NHS Trust said it was unhappy that confidential letters were being sent to a residential address.

She added: "Swansea NHS Trust has contacted Royal Mail to express our concerns about post being misdelivered to this address in Pontardawe.

"It is unacceptable that confidential material, which is clearly addressed to our child health department in Orchard Street, Swansea, including the correct post code, is being delivered to a private house.

"In the meantime, we have arranged to collect the post ourselves from Ms Maggs's home."

A Royal Mail spokesman added: "Royal Mail would like to apologise sincerely to the customer in Pontardawe for any distress she has suffered as a result of problems with her mail deliveries.

"Occasionally, difficulties do arise over mail for properties with similar addresses, especially those which do not bear the correct postcode.

"The delivery office manager is reviewing the situation carefully and the customer's mail will be double checked each morning in an effort to prevent any future mistakes occurring.

"We are also discussing the matter with the intended mail recipient to ensure that, in future, the correct address for their premises is used by their customers.

"We would also ask any of our customers who experience problems with their mail to contact Royal Mail customer services on 08457 740740 to register their concerns so that immediate action can be taken to rectify the situation."

[DGP1]

Someone puts the wrong address on their post and we get the blame, I've had a few of those myself (wrong address but I'm expected to know where it's supposed to be delivered).

[The Postal Avenger]

Bet the Regular Postie Got an Earful

LIZ PERKINS
HEALTH REPORTER

09:00 - 18 January 2008

Confidential Nhs letters and medical supplies have been mistakenly posted to a Swansea woman's home for a year.Helen Maggs said she is sick and tired of parcels and letters, including confidential information about patients, landing on the doormat of her Pontardawe home, instead of being sent to Central Clinic in Orchard Street.

The 40-year-old breast cancer sufferer, of Orchard Street, Pontardawe, has lodged a series of complaints with Royal Mail about the situation, but mail is still arriving at her home.

Concerns about the situation have also been raised by Swansea NHS Trust.

Royal Mail has pledged to look into the matter and double check the delivery of all letters to her address.

Ms Maggs said: "For the past year I have had letters delivered non-stop for Central Clinic, in 21 Orchard Street.

"The letters have got the correct postcodes for the centre on them but it's got to the point that I am receiving medical supplies.

"I have had two people from Royal Mail come round asking me to pick up my mail and I have told them 'no' because it's for a Swansea medical centre.

"I'm having letters coming through, one had the details of a five-month-old baby - if it got into the wrong hands it would be awful.

"I have been on the phone to Royal Mail about it."

She said she feared that her mail could be going astray.

"I wonder if my mail is going to Central Clinic," she added.

A spokeswoman for Swansea NHS Trust said it was unhappy that confidential letters were being sent to a residential address.

She added: "Swansea NHS Trust has contacted Royal Mail to express our concerns about post being misdelivered to this address in Pontardawe.

"It is unacceptable that confidential material, which is clearly addressed to our child health department in Orchard Street, Swansea, including the correct post code, is being delivered to a private house.

"In the meantime, we have arranged to collect the post ourselves from Ms Maggs's home."

A Royal Mail spokesman added: "Royal Mail would like to apologise sincerely to the customer in Pontardawe for any distress she has suffered as a result of problems with her mail deliveries.

"Occasionally, difficulties do arise over mail for properties with similar addresses, especially those which do not bear the correct postcode.

"The delivery office manager is reviewing the situation carefully and the customer's mail will be double checked each morning in an effort to prevent any future mistakes occurring.

"We are also discussing the matter with the intended mail recipient to ensure that, in future, the correct address for their premises is used by their customers.

"We would also ask any of our customers who experience problems with their mail to contact Royal Mail customer services on 08457 740740 to register their concerns so that immediate action can be taken to rectify the situation."

Why is she opening them if she knows they aren't for her? Nail her for tampering with the mail!

[sevenandseven]

According to the Royal Mail Postcode checker. Orchard Street Pontardawe is an SA8 code. The NHS centre in Swansea is SA1. So who is exactly to blame? The postman - perhaps not a regular. The senders - are NHS using the right code? Or the office manager for not sorting it out earlier? And as someone else said -why did she open a letter not addressed to her?