Collection and delivery of University mail

To ensure your mail reaches its destination in a timely manner, please address all internal post, including internal mail envelopes, as follows:

• Recipient’s full name
• Department/building
• Street name
• Postcode
• (Optional return address on the rear of the envelope)

If the destination of your mail is unclear, our supervisor will open it to check where it needs to go or be returned.

If your mail is marked ‘private and confidential’ we’ll pass it to a member of the management team to be opened and redirected as required.

Packaging

Please make sure your mail items are packed appropriately before our team collect them.

It is a departmental responsibility to ensure that confidential items are marked as such and that packaging is sufficient to prevent loss or damage.

Packaging for items like biological samples, batteries, alcohol or other chemicals will be subject to specific regulations. Departments should ensure that staff who are packaging these items have the appropriate training.

Please visit the IATA (International Air Transport Association) website for more information on the regulations that apply to your shipment.

High value items

We offer an extremely reliable service, but we are currently unable to track and trace individual items of mail and do not offer compensation for loss or damage.

We therefore encourage departments to send valuable items using external delivery companies that offer insurance against loss and damage.

Your external mail should always be accompanied by a mail service pink booking slip which records:

• Your name, contact number and email address
• Date
• Oracle cost centre code
• Postal service required.

The team uses this slip to frank your mail and capture any charges that need to be applied to your cost centre. 

To request booking slips or help in completing them, please contact us on +44 (0)1865 2 80647.

Departments and colleges will specify a delivery location for us – usually a reception desk or security lodge. In buildings or departments without a staffed delivery point, we will normally leave post in a designated tray for staff to collect. We also deliver and collect post from the Distribution Centre in Headington (OX3 7DQ).

You need to be aware of the security provision in your own area and report any concerns or needs to your local facilities/building manager. 

For NHS sites, we deliver to the following locations:

• John Radcliffe Hospital (Post room)
• Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (Reception)
• Churchill Hospital (Post room)
• Warneford Hospital (Reception)

Once your mail has been delivered it goes through the hospital's own internal sorting and delivery processes over which we have no control.

We carry out vehicle deliveries and collections according to a planned schedule. To enquire about special arrangements, and for further information about vehicle deliveries/collections, please contact us on +44 (0)1865 2 80647.

To request a collection and delivery, please go to the online request form.

If your department is part of a bicycle delivery round there are limitations to how much mail can be collected.

We will be happy to discuss your needs and can arrange a collection by one of our vehicles if possible. Please contact us on +44 (0)1865 2 80647.

Our service is for University business only and should not be used for sending personal items of mail.

We cannot be held responsible for any items of personal mail and may raise concerns with the relevant department if we suspect that the service is being misused and further investigation is warranted.