Featherstone woman misses cancer appointments due to post not arriving
A woman from Featherstone who has recently been diagnosed with cancer has missed hospital appointments because the confirmation letters were not delivered.
Jean McGuiness said addresses in her WF7 postcode had not received mail for around four weeks.
As a result she has missed three hospital appointments that she was not aware were booked, as well as a personal independence payment review.
She said: “I just don't know where I'm going and what's happening. It makes you wonder how many more important letters are waiting in the pile.
"I have just been diagnosed with cancer. I have everything going through my mind – ‘what treatment I will receive, will I have to have chemotherapy?’. Obviously they don't know that but the mail should be there.
"It's not just me, a lot of people are suffering. Elderly people are not getting their mail and they don't know who to turn to.
"They are expecting cards from their families and they're getting nothing. It's as if we don't exist.
"It’s as if they've chosen that a WF7 address might not get any post but WF9 might. I don't think it's fair to choose who gets the mail and who doesn't.”
Jean said she felt Royal Mail were, in effect, charging for a service that they were not providing.
She said residents received no warning that there would be delays.
Similar delays have been reported in Normanton and Wakefield Council said it would write to Royal Mail over the disruption.
In a council meeting, Normanton representative Julie Medford said numerous residents had been in touch over the delays.
She added that the agenda reports for the meeting had not been received by members.
Council leader Denise Jeffery said: “I do feel it is something we should take up as a council.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the concern this has caused. We’re aware of temporary resourcing issues affecting a small number of routes in parts of Featherstone, which has led to delays to some deliveries.
"The overwhelming majority of mail across the Wakefield area continues to be delivered on time.
"We’re working to prioritise any delayed items and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
"Our posties are working incredibly hard during the busy Christmas period to keep deliveries consistent and reliable for customers.”