Combat Stress provides unique help and support for veterans of our Armed Forces who are struggling with mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They provide residential stays with Psychiatric and clinical help plus rehabilitation activities. Combat Stress also help and support the veterans in the community and their families. Government funding has been reducing for the last few years and is now down by 1/3rd and they have had to stop accepting any veterans, the first time in 100 years. They usually have 2,000 applications for help each year.

I run Healing Hands Network charity and we work alongside Combat Stress supporting their work in the rehab and recovery head office centre and also the community work. We have seen the groups diminish and disband nationally as Welfare Officers, Occupational Therapists and Community Psychiatric Nurses have been made redundant or have had to leave due to immense workloads as workload increases. leaving veterans in crisis with no help, home visits or support. Families are suffering and often breaking up. 

This is a dreadful state for them to reach. Combat Stress was set up 100 years ago to help suffering returning veterans from WW1. We see first hand how much this organisation helps veterans and we do not want to see it cease to be.

Veterans are floundering now with the lack of help there is actually there for them despite the government and media saying it is a priority and the money has been given. The wait for an assessment with NHS is several months,which when you are in a state of crisis is no help.

Please help to get more funding allocated back to them. The NHS help stabilise but Combat Stress help the recovery pathway and is so essential. Don't overload the struggling NHS any more when there is already a proven organisation set up and working. The community work is so vital and has all but disappeared.