BACK in January, we were given to understand the postal service was back to normal. So how could the following be explained?

I was waiting for an appointment to go to the John Radcliffe Hospital for an important issue, so I rang the hospital on January 19 to ask if I had an appointment in the offing as I had waited a long time.

I had; it had been arranged for the next day. It was fortunate I had phoned.

KATHLEEN LESTER, Hollow Way, Oxford