HELPLINE FOR HEROES

TO READ in this newspaper last week of the tragic death of Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt filled me with sadness and frustration. Not only because the Army has lost a decorated soldier who fought with distinction in Afghanistan, but also because his death reminded me of the failure of the Ministry of Defence to provide adequate mental health care for our brave men and women in the Armed Forces who are still serving.

Nathan Hunt was not a veteran – he was a serving soldier who fought alongside Prince Harry in Helmand province.

It is a shocking and damning statistic that since 1995, more than 400 serving Servicemen and women have taken their own lives – that’s around 20 personnel lost to suicide every year. It may horrify readers to learn therefore that there is no round-the-clock care for vulnerable troops.

Cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also on the rise, yet remarkably, specialist mental healthcare for active members of the Forces is only available during office hours. In the evenings, at night and at weekends, vulnerable personnel are expected to call a charity or turn up at their nearest A&E department.

Let me be clear: this level of care falls far short of what our brave troops require. It also represents something of a dereliction of duty by the MoD towards those who defend our country.

I have no difficulty with military veterans requiring help from charities – that has always been the British way – but not serving personnel, surely?

AGOVERNMENT that sends troops into dangerous situations has a clear moral responsibility to look after those who are traumatised by their warzone experiences, certainly while they remain in uniform. I am sad to admit that my efforts to persuade Ministers to improve mental healthcare for vulnerable personnel have failed so far. That is why now, following the death of WO Hunt, I have joined forces with The Mail on Sunday in a fresh bid to get the MoD to listen.

It is also harrowing to read today in the MoS how other members of WO Hunt’s unit have been left traumatised by their experiences – no surprise given their exposure to enemy fire and the unimaginable stress of searching for Taliban roadside bombs. Their stories echo so many experiences of young men and women who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

Nobody should judge them harshly for struggling to readjust to life back in this country, because they’re conditioned by what they’ve seen, done, smelt and heard. That said, I am convinced that a major reason why these troops are suffering so acutely today is because of the