Newtown mum says she received life-changing support from the very service she helps deliver
A CALL handler for NHS Wales’ 24/7 mental health support line has said the service “saved her life” after she was left struggling with severe anxiety following an unplanned pregnancy.
Esther Barton, who works on the 111 press option 2 mental health service in Powys, says she never imagined she would one day find herself needing the same support she helps provide to others.
The pan-Wales service, which launched in Powys in 2023, offers round-the-clock access to trained mental health practitioners via telephone, providing immediate support to people in distress.
Esther, from Newtown, said her mental health deteriorated rapidly after becoming pregnant in the summer of 2024, despite her professional background in mental health care.
“I know from personal experience how daunting it is to pick up that phone,” she said. “But I also know how important it is to make that step.
“This is a service which really does save lives. I’m so grateful.”
Esther, who is also studying for a degree under Powys Teaching Health Board’s Aspiring Nurse Programme, said the pregnancy triggered severe anxiety and depression.
She described being in a fragile relationship and struggling to come to terms with impending motherhood.
“I was depressed, I wasn’t sleeping and I was struggling with dark thoughts,” she said. “I was catastrophising — I was really quite unwell.”
By late 2024, she said she had reached breaking point.
“In some ways, being a mental health practitioner made it all the more difficult to pick up the phone,” she said. “But I realised I was going to have to call the 111 option 2 service.”
One evening, around 10pm, she made the call.
“I was worried it would be one of my colleagues on the other end,” she said. “She recognised my name straight away, but she was amazing about it. I felt so comfortable.”
“She made it really easy for me. Once I’d got over the initial nerves, I felt an instant sense of relief. I’d done it — and someone was listening.”
Esther said the call lasted around an hour and was described as a conversation rather than a clinical assessment.
“By the end, I knew I was going to get the support that I desperately needed,” she said.
She was referred to community and perinatal mental health services, assessed within 24 hours, prescribed medication, and supported with regular weekly contact.
“There were some massive ups and downs, but the support was always there when I needed it,” she said.
Esther gave birth to her son Dennis in April last year and returned to work in February.
“He lives up to his name — he’s definitely a menace,” she said. “But he’s the light of my life. I can’t imagine being without him.”
She says her experience has strengthened her work on the helpline and reinforced the importance of early intervention.
“You don’t have to be at breaking point to call 111 press 2,” she said. “No problem is too small. There’s no judgement — we’re here to help.”
