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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that this NHS letter could have waited until after christmas?

58 replies

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 18:48

DH is a postman.
Today, they all had letters from the NHS to deliver- most houses got at least one (addressed to many different members of the family)

The letter, (DH got one, I didn't) DH has just opened and it's a letter from the NHS saying that they're now doing a thing called patient summary care, which means that all of your allergies/health problems/etc are kept in one summary record so that they can find out information about your health quickly.

It's 3 weeks before Christmas - this circular letter made up about half of their workload today.
On top of this letter, they had their normal mail, plus all the packets and stuff that are being sent for Christmas.

There's no deadline to this letter, there's nothing in the letter to suggest they've sent them out before the winter sets in.

DH is scheduled to finish work at 7 minutes past 2. He actually finished at about 1/4 to 4 today, mainly because of this letter. (he didn't even get out of the office to his delivery until 11o'clock because of how much time it added to the sorting process)

and because the law states that they have to deliver all addressed mail as soon as practicable, it wasn't something that could be left until later.

So, AIBU? Should the NHS have waited until after christmas to send this non-urgent letter?

OP posts:

NewBikeForChristmas · 07/12/2011 18:53

Maybe you don't know the NHS's drivers for the timing of the letter ?
It may seem daft time of year to you, but their might be a genuinely good reason for the timing. My dept once did a mailshot at a particular time because several people were being made redundant and we had to do it when we had the staff to do so.

purplewednesday · 07/12/2011 18:56

LOL at the preciseness of finishing at 7 mins past 2!!
How on earth is that arrived at?

Northernlurker · 07/12/2011 18:58

Winter is the peak time for hospital admissions. It is important information in this letter and patients should get it asap. If that involves the Royal Mail having to work extra hard in order to deliver said letters well that is their purpose after all!

latrucha · 07/12/2011 19:02

Now now nickelbabe, I know the NHS is on your mind 'n all ...

EverythingInMjiniature · 07/12/2011 19:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom · 07/12/2011 19:09

Just think if they'd used Yodel to deliver them...

redyam · 07/12/2011 19:11

What your DH does is, at 1407, phones up his manager and says he can't do any overtime, and takes any undelivered mail back to the office. It's is then the managers problem to sort it out.

No one can force him to work overtime if it isn't in his contract.

Ismeyes · 07/12/2011 19:14

YABU the NHS didn't make him have to stay late to post those letters. Those are the conditions of his job!

slavetofilofax · 07/12/2011 19:17

YABVU. The NHS has slightly more important things to think about than postmen knocking off work on time. Presumably they paid the Post Office/Royal mail, so they can use the service whenever they want.

Perhaps you should focus on the fact that your DH's employers don't organise themselves properly so that the work they have can be done in the time they pay their workers for.

troisgarcons · 07/12/2011 19:20

Oh my! perhaps Christmas cards should also be posted sporadically from July?

What about all the days your DP knocked off early due to slow mail days?

What about the strikes postmen go on - there was one in 2009 - what about the urgent mail ie hospital appointments missed?

They only do one round a day now anyway.

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 07/12/2011 19:24

I would have sympathy but this time last year we had no mail for weeks on end because of the snow and then the slush and then the very possibility of snow...

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:27

purple - it's because of the weekly hours divided by the number of days

OP posts:

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:28

they could have sent it in November.
they must have known it was going to happen.

OP posts:

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:30

leftmymistletoe - this is another reason why it's a problem - if it had snowed, then letters have to take priority over packets.
last year, there was so much annoyance because they couldn't get packets to recipients quickly enough in time for christmas (oh my golly did people complain! like it was the RM's fault it snowed!)
If that had happened this year, people would have been getting NHS circulars instead of little children getting Grandma's christmas present.

OP posts:

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:32

It's not about them knocking of work on time, it's about the fact that the NHS could have thought a little harder about the fact that December is a busy time for post.

Customers would be more annoyed at not getting their christmas cards than they would about a letter that they didn't know about till it arrived.

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Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:33

they weren't sent by Royal Mail, either, they were sent by a third party collector.
the thrid party collector has no lagel obligation to get the post ot he houses - the only company that has to delvier to the door is Royal Mail.

so the third party collector gets the lion's share of the money and RM has to do all the work.

OP posts:

Alouisee · 07/12/2011 19:38

Stop worrying about the Royal Mail and get on with your own delivery

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:44

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spiderpig8 · 07/12/2011 19:45

YABU.Royal mail users are what keeps your husband in work and pay his wages. Since when should customers plan their own business around the convenience of a supplier's employees.

HoHoOpotomus · 07/12/2011 19:45

I got that letter months ago. Perhaps the NHS are simply rolling out the letters over months. The world doesn't stop for Xmas. Your DP got overtime in December - surely thats good? YABU.

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:47

in which case opotomus it makes even less sense to send them out in December!

"oh, hee's a non-urgent letter that we're sending out to al the PCTs in rotation. when's the best time to send them? Ooooh, December'll be good - that's always a quite month, mail-wise"

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hugglymugly · 07/12/2011 19:48

That's bizarre. If those letters were important because it's now winter, then they should have been posted in September/October. Given that it's so close to Christmas, I think most people would put them to one side for the moment, and then probably forget.

I love our posties. And they probably love us as we have a mailbox so they just dunk the post in rather than having to deal with a lethal letter box. But I'm on the alert as usual this time of year, because we often get seasonal staff who can be confused that we don't have a letter box. I have a view from my den onto the driveway, and today I could see that the non-regular postie seemed to be confused, but that was because he had an Amazon package that wouldn't fit and eventually left it on the top of the mailbox, though I suspect that if I cleared out all the leaves next to the mailbox he would have been able to put it there.

nickelbabe - I've heard that posties aren't allowed to enter people's properties to use the loo or ask for a glass of water. Is that true? Our regular postie is a lovely young woman who is amazingly efficient - walks very fast, never misdelivers post. I'd love it if I could give back in some way to her, even if it's just the use of our loo.

marriedandwreathedinholly · 07/12/2011 19:49

I remember when the mail used be delivered twice a day. 1st post and 2nd post. Also when letters posted first class were delivered on the next day. Sometimes we only receive post two to three times a week and I am certain that's because the postie no longer comes every day. So much for 1st class post nowadays.

I can see your point to an extent but there is so much less actual mail nowadays (although perhaps fewer postmen too) than there used to be that one letter from the NHS can't really be described as a problem. Just think of all the things we get on line nowadays that used to come through the post.

emsyj · 07/12/2011 19:52

YABU. You have no idea whether the letter is urgent or not. They may be under an obligation to inform patients that the way they store patient information is changing (and do so within a specific time frame). They might have other things to do in November, or January, or any other month, which make it essential that this letter goes out in December. Even if it genuinely is non-urgent and could have been sent out at another time, the postal service is just that - a service.

Original poster

nickelbabe · 07/12/2011 19:54

huggly - not sure. I know they're not supposed to ask, but I assume they're allowed to take up the offer if given to them.

married - one letter is not an issue - one letter (or more!) to each house on the round is an issue - as i say, it's not that it takes that much longer to deliver, it takes that much longer to sort (DH has 400 houses on his round - he had 8 boxes more than usual to sort today)
We do, but there are a lot more packets than there used to be, also because of online. But packets apparently aren't mail (because they only count letters)

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