"As part of ‘Living with Covid-19’, we must continue to treat test kits as a priority through our network." states the Royal Mail following the Government's intention to now of charging for Lateral Flow Tests to the public.
In an internal communications release, the company said the following:
 Alongside the CWU and CMA, we have proudly been supporting the national testing programme, seven days a week, by collecting and delivering millions of test kits since the start of the pandemic. Our contribution has been an integral part of the Government’s response to COVID-19 and central to the national effort to combat the coronavirus.
Throughout, COVID-19 test kits have been treated as an absolute priority.
On Monday 21 February 2022, the Government announced its plan for Living with COVID-19 – which involves removing the remaining legal restrictions while protecting the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and maintaining resilience.
Testing and tracing have been important. The Government’s provision of Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) enabled people to take a test before meeting family, friends and colleagues, allowing them to protect themselves and others, and breaking chains of transmission.
Royal Mail is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on the future of testing across the UK and it is vital that COVID-19 test kits continue to be treated as an absolute priority through our network.
As a reminder, it’s really important that mail centres and delivery offices continue to follow the standard operating procedures to ensure we continue to deliver exceptional service standards of more than 98%:
The CWU's National Health, Safety, and Environment Officer, Dave Joyce commented in his letter to all CWU's Postal Branches (LTB102/22):
Royal Mail have therefore issued the attached communication to update on the current position and to emphasise the importance of the adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures, to ensure that exceptional service standards continues to be delivered.
The communication confirms the following:
Mail Centres:
- Keep test kits separate from all other mail items
- If you receive any test kits for delivery for another plant out of course from Paragon, immediately call CPC and scan every kit as a mis-sort
- Process PCR test kits in discrete, manual work areas DO NOT PROCESSon the PSM as these are for UK citizens due elective surgery or critically extremely vulnerable (LFDs can be processed through PSMs until Thursday 31 March)
- Ensure the correct scans are applied to all test kits
- Label test kits returns with the correct colour corresponding York labels
- Red = elective care kits
- Lilac = standard kits
- Yellow = IEP kits
- Check the Redlands and QCC systems for potential quality defects.
Delivery Offices:
- Ensure every test kit is attempted delivery, especially PCRs in lilac and red poly bags which are for elective care and clinically vulnerable people
- Ensure the correct scans are applied to all test kits
- Check the Redlands and QCC systems for potential quality defects.
Source: CWU
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