Residents report ongoing postal delays
BBCSome people in parts of the South West say they are currently getting Royal Mail post delivered about once a fortnight.
The BBC has been contacted by people in the region, frustrated they are missing hospital appointments, bank cards are being cancelled and debt collection threats are being issued because of late parking fines.
Torbay MP Steve Darling told Parliament the problems were affecting people's health, citing missed medical appointments caused by delayed mail.
Royal Mail said it had experienced "short-term local challenges" in the area but had "taken steps to improve performance".
Jean Tomkow from Torbay in Devon said she had been receiving post about once every two weeks and was "constantly worried" about missing important correspondence.
On one occasion, among nine items of mail delivered together were two letters from a life insurance company which had been sent more than six weeks earlier.
One required a response by a specified date, while the second informed her the company had proceeded because no reply had been received.
"This could have been disastrous for us," she said.
"We're constantly worried we are going to miss something else important."
Tomkow also said her husband previously missed a hospital appointment after a letter notifying him of the time and date never arrived.
"I have let the MP know that we are experiencing problems as I don't know where we can go, on our own," she said.
Nikki Prentice said postal delays had worsened problems for her, when she started receiving parking fines in error and the notices arrived almost three weeks after they were issued.
She said she later received debt collection letters that were also significantly delayed.
"If I had needed to pay the fine, I would have missed the opportunity to pay the lower cost," she said.
"I've got no idea if this parking situation is resolved, whether I'm missing other things, have I received other fines?
"It's left me feeling frustrated, irritated and certainly absolutely no faith in the Royal Mail system as it stands at the moment.
"They need to review what they are able to do and deliver on those promises."
John AllanIn Plymouth, John Allan said his gliding licence arrived on the 19 of October but was postmarked 14 days earlier.
"I was waiting for my gliding licence for at least two weeks," he said.
"I asked a neighbour if they'd had any post and they said not for three weeks.
"There has been no mail since."
Alison Hassall from Torpoint in Cornwall said since April she has been getting important mail "way too late".
"We go days and days with no post but you do see plenty of post people delivering mail so what really is the issue here?
"You're paying for, but not necessarily getting, the service promised. Stop prioritising parcels."
Darling recently raised the issue in Parliament, saying missed appointments were having an impact on people's health.
He said: "We need to make sure that we are maximising the powers of Ofcom, giving them teeth and encouraging them to use those teeth."
A Royal Mail spokesperson said 87.4% of first-class letters in the TQ postcode area, which includes Torquay, Paignton, and much of south Devon were delivered the next working day.
For the PL postcode area, which includes Plymouth, west Devon and east Cornwall, it said 83% of first-class letters were delivered the next working day, up from 79.1% the previous quarter.
In the TR postcode area which covers mid and west Cornwall, 84.1% of first class letters were delivered on time, compared to 74.6% the previous quarter.
"We know there is more to do and remain focused on improving the reliability of our service," they said.
"We have experienced some short-term local challenges across the Torbay area, but have taken steps to improve performance, with services becoming more consistent and additional recruitment underway.
"Where deliveries are missed, our teams work to deliver any outstanding mail as quickly as possible."
