‘A profound thank you’

Lord Bethell, Minister for Innovation at the Department for Health and Social Care has recorded a special video to thank colleagues for our role in the huge effort to provide Covid-19 testing for the nation. 

‘I want to say a massive and profound thank you to everyone at Royal Mail, Royal Mail Relay and eCourier for the enormous contribution you have made to standing up the country’s Test and Trace programme,’ said Lord Bethell.

‘This is a programme that is delivering huge value for the nation. From the doorstep to the boardroom, Royal Mail has been there for the country and I think this achievement will go down in the annals of Royal Mail history. Everyone involved in the Royal Mail family should be very proud.’

Royal Mail is supporting this important national effort against coronavirus in three key ways:

• Royal Mail Relay continues to collect samples from numerous drive-through test centres across the UK to designated testing labs.
• A UK-wide, seven days-a-week home collection service, where samples are collected from homes and returned to testing labs via the Royal Mail network and using our Tracked Returns service.
• Customers are able to use our priority postboxes to post their samples.

The Government recently announced that all members of the public can now apply for a Covid-19 test kit through the NHS portal. Anyone using a home swab test will be encouraged to use one of over 30,000 Royal Mail priority postboxes across the UK to return their tests.

It is estimated that by moving to this system rather than ordering a courier to collect the test upon completion, tests can be processed, and results issued 20 hours faster.

Click here for more on how Covid-19 home testing samples can be posted using our priority postboxes.