Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assurances his Department can provide that NHS letters will continue to be prioritised for delivery by the Royal Mail over Christmas period.

The government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS letters. Royal Mail has introduced an NHS barcode to assist NHS units that continue to rely on post to communicate with patients. In addition, NHS England and NHS Providers have produced guidance for NHS organisations, including a case study, to increase awareness and uptake of the variety of Royal Mail services for the timely delivery of letters.