Royal Mail blamed for pensioner’s missed appointments

David Lincoln who lives in Barton, said delivery problems have been ongoing for around five years.

The 73-year-old said: “You get it, then it goes away, then it starts again. It’s beyond a joke and getting ridiculous.”

Residents receive emails apologising for “resourcing issues” at the Oxford East delivery office.

But, Mr Lincoln claims two staff are still sent out on rounds and “take it in turns” to prioritise parcels one week, with letters left to the following week.

He said he has waited longer than his bank’s specified timeframe for a new card and missed hospital appointments because of delayed letters.

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With multiple health conditions, he says the uncertainty around when post will turn up is causing “growing anxiety”.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We know how important it is for letters to arrive on time, particularly where they relate to hospital appointments.

“Our latest results show 92 per cent of letters arrive on time and more than 99% arrive within a week. However, some delivery offices can be temporarily affected by local issues such as sick absence.

“We list areas experiencing temporary disruption on our service updates page, which includes Oxford East Delivery Office. We are working to get services back to normal and, where mail is delayed, we aim to deliver it the following day.”