Postal workers have been told to prioritise NHS letters and vaccination post - after various issues with delays and staff shortages due to Covid.

Bosses at Royal Mail say staff are being told to check for letters with NHS logos to ensure they are sorted and delivered as soon as possible.

Earlier this month, Basildon, Grays, South Ockendon, and Chelmsford were put on a postage "blacklist" with homeowners not receiving regular deliveries and Royal Mail was forced to apologise for a lack of deliveries after its workforce has been hit with Covid cases and self-isolating staff.

READ MORE >> King John School hunting for new £117,000-a-year headteacher

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We recognise the vital importance of getting vaccination letters to recipients as quickly as possible.  We are working closely with public health authorities to prioritise letters from the NHS for delivery. Our people have been instructed to look out for vaccination letters which are identified by an NHS logo so that they can be prioritised during the sorting and delivery process.

"We meet daily with public health authorities to plan for the delivery of vaccination letters.  This ensures we can focus our resources to deliver these letters as quickly as possible. In areas where Royal Mail offices are experiencing particularly high levels of COVID-related absences, we are drafting in extra resource to help prioritise vaccination letters.”