How to find the nearest Royal Mail priority postbox to return your Covid test Bedford News

If you ordered a postal test, the process couldn’t be easier. Your test kit will arrive with an information leaflet, which includes clear and detailed information on exactly what you will need to do.

Although the test itself is relatively straightforward, returning your sample can be tricky as you need to find a ‘priority post office box’.

So what is a Priority Mailbox and how do you find the one closest to you?

Here’s everything you need to know.

The Royal Mail describes itself as a ‘key partner in the government’s coronavirus testing programme’.

“We collect completed test kits from priority letterboxes or homes under the government scheme,” he said.

You are likely to be asked to post your completed coronavirus test kit to one of Royal Mail’s 35,000 specially selected priority postboxes. These can be identified by the NHS/Royal Mail sticker affixed to them.

If you expect your local letterbox to have such a sticker but cannot find it you can still use it, although Royal Mail asks you to let this be known by calling 0345 266 8038 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There’s nothing else visually special about these mailboxes other than their stickers.

The idea behind priority letterboxes is that the Royal Mail can use them to send full test kits back to the NHS as quickly as possible.

Designating certain mailboxes as priority can also help reduce the number of mailboxes used to collect coronavirus samples.

This means that fewer mailboxes come into contact with the virus, thus minimizing the risk of spreading the infection.

Royal Mail says it has worked “in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer to ensure the process is safe for our colleagues”.

Details on how to find the nearest priority mailbox are clearly listed in the instruction booklet that comes with your test kit.

If you are unable to access a computer or smart device, you can call 0345 266 8038.

This line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, The Scotsman