Tina Hucker spent her day off in a queue at Royal Mail’s Friarn Street delivery office after weeks without post in Bridgwater. She said she had come back several times and still could not be sure her prescription medication was there.
Residents in Bridgwater had been given two hour collection slots between 8am-10am and 4pm-6pm, after some said they had gone up to six weeks without deliveries. Jerry Lomax said he was waiting for a credit card and could only attend the afternoon slot because he was working.
Friarn Street Royal Mail
Royal Mail blamed staff sickness for the delays, while customers said the disruption had left them without prescriptions, documents, bank statements and credit cards. Some residents also said they had missed important appointments, turning the collection office into the only place where they could check what had arrived.
Hucker said, “As things have happened now, I've come here several times and the queues have been horrendous.” She also said, “I can't remember the last time I got post - months. I've had to park over the other side of town to wait in the queue.”
That meant the collection routine became its own obstacle. The limited time slots forced working residents into a narrow window, and Lomax said, “I can't do the morning times, because I'm working.”
Tina Hucker and Jerry Lomax
Hucker said, “Luckily it's my day off today, so I'm able to come and wait here.” She added, “I've never seen this before. I don't know how long it's going to be, or if I'll get in before six o'clock.”
She said, “I'm coming back to give it a last go, or I'm going to have to order more meds again, but I don't know if they'll turn up as they normally do because of this issue.” Hucker also said, “I don't want to over-order meds if they're just sat here. If I order more meds, will I get the same problem again? Will the doctor approve them? The doctor only approves what's needed.”
Lomax said of his delayed card, “They keep telling me I need to activate it, otherwise they're going to null and void it,” adding another layer to the backlog for residents who need post to arrive before they can act on it. The article does not set out a return date for normal deliveries, leaving Bridgwater residents to rely on the same Friarn Street collections while the delays continue.
