Over-stretched and under-funded, many patients know the sad truth of the system; those who are a danger to themselves are prioritised but forced to endure unreasonable waiting times, while most don’t get help at all.

 

Unfortunately, it looks set to get worse as the current climate of uncertainty caused by Brexit has taken its toll on both the sector and its patients.

 

The NHS Confederation are soon to hold their annual March conference on mental health. A spokesperson said: “Brexit will almost certainly be on the lips of speakers and attendees across the two days” as they discuss the “most pressing issues affecting the mental health sector”.

 

The confederation’s findings don’t invoke optimism – it flags a few areas as the most “at risk”, these being workforce supply and funding.

 

Figures from the Cavendish Coalition revealed the NHS could be short of 51,000 nurses, including mental health nurses, by the end of the transition period.

 

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said to address the gap we need to “increase recruitment from within the UK like ‘return to work’ schemes” as well as develop the immigration system so it is “responsive and agile, with as little red tape as possible”.

 

In terms of funding, the NHS Confederation say mental health services have experienced historical underinvestment and given the current economic uncertainty, are concerned about investments in “improvements to mental health care which the sector has long called for”.

 

NHS leaders can only speculate about what will happen, but Brexit is already impacting people - more than four in ten say it’s impacted their mental health, according to YouGov.

 

George Cullum, a trainee mental health nurse, has seen this first hand. “It’s mostly stress and anxiety we’re seeing – the word uncertainty has been thrown around a lot,” he says.

 

“Brexit is everywhere and it’s hard not to think about. A lot of people say they’re nervous watching the news and don’t feel in control of their future, then there’s also the stress of money and jobs. It comes full circle.”

 

Recently, news outlets in Cumbria reported that farmers are now on ‘suicide watch’ after being driven to the brink by Brexit. EU nationals are reporting feeling suicidal or depressed at the thought of a No Deal.

 

Political uncertainty is proving to be too much for some. But one thing is certain – our mental health service is suffering.