‘Mission-critical role’

We are proud to be playing a key role in the delivery and return of coronavirus test kits to designated labs across the country, as part of a major national effort to expand testing.

The Secretary of State Matt Hancock was joined by Testing Minister James Bethell on a live-streamed call to issue a ‘profound thanks’ to Royal Mail for our participation in ‘this national effort against covid-19.’

We are now providing three different services. Firstly, Royal Mail Relay collects samples from drive-through test centres around the country at the end of every day, transporting them directly to the designated testing labs early the following morning. 

We have also introduced a seven-day home collections service, for people who cannot easily access a testing centre. Samples will be collected from homes UK-wide, and then returned to the testing labs the following morning, via the Royal Mail network using Tracked 24.

We have worked with our unions to agree special processes that are safe for both colleagues and customers.

Eligible people also have the option to post their home test kit sample into one of 13,000 priority postboxes from Monday to Friday. They can locate their nearest priority postbox by scanning the QR code on the Tracked 24 Returns label.

We are seeing some kits appear in other postboxes across the country. It is therefore, vital that all Collections colleagues understand how to handle these items, should they find any. They can be identified by either a lilac Tracked 24 Returns label or a lilac sticker with the wording: ‘covid-19 test kit.’

Watch the latest RMtv to find out more.