Who We Are – Judith

Sunderland postwoman of more than 40 years, Judith Scott regularly checks on her more vulnerable customers to see that they’re ok.

During the first lockdown, she rescued one elderly woman, who had been lying on her bedroom floor with a broken hip for more than 30 hours.

Our Who We Are campaign celebrates our key workers - connecting communities, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic – and beyond as well. We’re recognising people at the heart of our business, across the pipeline, as they describe who they are in their own words.

We want to receive nominations from around the Group for deserving colleagues to be recognised in this way. Send yours to communications@royalmail.com.

Judith was outside a customer’s house while out on her delivery round during lockdown when she heard shouting.

‘The cries were quite muffled and at first, I thought it was just some children playing out in the garden,’ she said. ‘But I soon realised the sound was coming from inside the house. I lifted the letterbox and shouted to identify who I was.

‘The lady recognised me, and I told her that I would telephone for an ambulance, which I did while constantly trying to comfort her, saying that help was on its way. When I asked if she knew of anyone who could help, she said that the next-door neighbours had her son’s phone number. So, I went around to their house and asked them to call him to come. By the time the ambulance arrived, the poor lady was quite distressed. But together, the paramedics and I reassured her that her son was on his way.

‘The customer now truly believes that I saved her life and reminds me every day that I pass her house how lovely I am when all I was doing was my job. I received some really nice flowers and chocolates from her and her family to say thanks.

‘She now has carers who come every week to help her. And I pop in regularly to check on how she’s doing. It turns out that she had tripped on the bedding in her bedroom and had suffered a broken hip. She had lain there on her bedroom floor unable to move all through the night before I found her later the next day.

‘Her family have installed Alexa in her house, so she can ask her device to phone people for help, which I think is a great idea. I’m just so glad that I heard her that day and it was during the summer and not the winter.’

Judith never mentioned the incident to her colleagues. It was only when the customer’s family sent her some flowers and chocolates that her line manager, Paul Lumley, heard what had happened.

‘The family said if it hadn’t been for Judith, the lady may have not been found for days,’ said Paul. Judith checks in on numerous elderly customers every day and is a really important part of the local community.’

‘I’m lucky in that I have a lovely relationship with my customers,’ said Judith. ‘I’ve been a postwoman for more than 40 years, so I think that shows how much I love my job.’