Royal Mail has changed the rules regarding delivering post to Care Homes, Residential Homes, Sheltered Housing

Recently, Royal Mail has changed its rules for delivering post to Care Homes, Residential Homes and Sheltered Housing, during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Instead of putting mail through everyone’s letter box, they are putting mail on a table in our case at Acre Court, in reception, and everyone has to look through everyone’s mail to find their own. The postal worker himself is wearing a mask.

Many people at care homes across the country are now at risk. There can be many people looking through the mail at the same time contaminating the mail.

In my opinion, this change in post delivery is a massive mistake and now puts many elderly people at risk. Can you imagine all over the country, including where I live, residents of homes looking through everyone’s mail without protection and not keeping 2 meters apart?

Cllr Kim Groves has kindly looked at this situation for me, but a press release from Royal Mail means the decision cannot be overturned. Although this is the case I have written to Hilary Benn MP, and see what he can do. If nothing comes from that will write to 10 Downing Street.

If you want to contact Hilary re this click link: www.hilarybennmp.com

Please see below the press release from Royal Mail:

Delivering to care homes

The Government has introduced measures to protect our most vulnerable groups, including those in residential care.

These include limiting all but essential access to care homes for external contractors.

We recognise that post is important to the elderly, particularly those away from their friends and families in care homes.

Therefore, to support the effort to keep the mail moving but prevent the spread of Coronavirus, we are making arrangements to deliver to a central point (e.g. reception) rather than individual addresses within care homes from 19th March.

 

This post was edited and updated at 5pm on 5 April 2020

 

4 Replies to “Royal Mail has changed the rules regarding delivering post to Care Homes, Residential Homes, Sheltered Housing”

  1. You expect your claims to be taken seriously, and yet you can’t even address the correct company? The Post Office does not deliver mail. Royal Mail delivers mail. The two are completely separate companies.

    Not to mention how outdated and sexist it is to refer to them as a Post Man.

    What a poorly written article, and what shoddy journalism to allow this to be hosted on the website.

    1. This is a serious issue. I don’t find the rude and ill-considered response of “Anonymous” to be at all helpful. We all know what is meant by the Post Office in this context, and anyway the response is from Royal Mail. I wouldn’t use “postman” myself but, again, it’s not a key gripe right now. I am glad the author has raised this issue. I have a 96 year old aunt in a sheltered flat. There’s little point in her enduring being trapped in her small flat if she faces infection while going to see if there is any post for her. I also have a nephew who is a postal delivery worker, so I don’t underestimate the risk to him and his young family.

  2. There is no central reception area in the sheltered housing I live in, Royal Mail has kindly stopped delivering mail, to this address and as far as I can see burning it in a incerator

  3. Is this not breaking some sort of rule regarding data protection. Anyone can pick your mail up out of the pile…bank statements, hospital appointments etc. My 88 year old Father hasn’t left his flat since lockdown. I live in an apartment and I can’t see what the difference is! Disgrace!

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