Late post causing Highland patients to miss NHS appointments, health board confirms
NHS Highland says some appointment letters have arrived late, as councillors challenge Royal Mail over claims that deliveries have fallen to once a week in some rural areas.
Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. A councillor says one patient received an appointment letter after the date of her appointment. · Photograph: Richard Dorrell (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Health chiefs have confirmed that patients in the Highlands have missed medical appointments because of late postal deliveries.
The admission has increased pressure on Royal Mail to improve its service, amid complaints that deliveries have fallen to once a week in many rural parts of the region.
NHS Highland: "Some patients have received letters later than expected"
In a statement, NHS Highland said it was aware that some patients had received appointment letters later than expected and that it had received complaints about delays in postal deliveries.
"In some cases, this has resulted in patients receiving appointment information at short notice," the health board said.
It said appointments are generally issued in line with national guidance, with at least ten days' notice wherever possible.
NHS Highland said it continues to offer a text reminder service, and will introduce digital appointment services through the national Digital Front Door programme, reducing reliance on post over time.
Letter arrived after the appointment
Inverness Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Graham said: "There's a lady who told me that she'd received an appointment letter from Raigmore after the date of appointment and therefore she'd missed the appointment."
He will raise the issue at a council meeting this week, urging council leaders to take it up with Royal Mail. Highland councillors have questioned the company's insistence that its performance has improved.
Royal Mail: "Performance is improving"
A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "We know how important it is that people and businesses across the Highlands receive their mail when expected, and we take concerns about delays seriously."
She said the latest published figures show first-class next-day delivery in the Inverness postcode area – which covers much of the Highland Council area – rose from 78.4% in the previous quarter to 82.8% in the latest quarter.
"We know there is more to do and remain focused on improving reliability for customers across the Highlands," she added.
Why it matters
In rural communities, where internet coverage can be patchy and journeys to hospital are long, a missed appointment can mean a wait of weeks or months for another, and a wasted slot for the NHS.
Patients who are worried about missing appointments can ask NHS Highland about receiving text reminders.