A call handler with Powys’ round-the-clock mental health support service says it saved her life after an unplanned pregnancy left her overwhelmed with anxiety.

Esther Barton has worked with the 111, press option 2 team, based at Bronllys Hospital, since its launch in the county in May 2023.

The service operates 24/7 and puts trained mental health practitioners just a phone call away.

Esther, from Newtown, says she never imagined she might one day need their support and guidance herself – until life took an unexpected turn that left her struggling to cope.

“I know from personal experience how daunting it is to pick up that phone,” says Esther. “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, became pregnant in the summer of 2024.

She said that despite her mental health training, coming to terms with impending motherhood sent her spiralling into anxiety and depression.

“I was in a fragile relationship, and I couldn’t get my head around what my life would look like with a baby,” explained Esther. “I was depressed, I wasn’t sleeping and I was struggling with dark thoughts.

“I’d go from worrying about not being able to cope as a mum, to being terrified of losing my baby, to being riddled with anxiety over giving birth. I was catastrophising - I was really quite unwell.”

By late 2024, Esther says she was at ‘breaking point’.

“I knew all the advice, but I was too ill to put it into practice,” she said. “In some ways, being a mental health practitioner made it all the more difficult to pick up the phone.

“But I realised that, even though I worked for them, and as difficult as I knew it would be for me, I was going to have to call the 111 option 2 service.”

One night, around 10pm and with nowhere else to turn, Esther made the call.

“I was worried about it being one of my colleagues on the other end,” she recalls. “Of course, she recognised my name straight away, but she was amazing about it. I felt so comfortable.

“She made it really easy for me, and once I’d got over some initial nerves, I felt an instant sense of relief. I’d done it – and now someone was listening to me.

“We talked for a good hour - it’s not a barrage of questions, it’s a conversation – and by the end, I knew I was going to get the support that I desperately needed.”

Esther was referred to her community and perinatal mental health support teams.

She was assessed within 24 hours, prescribed medication and had weekly meetings with support workers over the following months.

Esther explained: “There were some massive ups and downs, but the support was always there when I needed it. It really helped me through.”

Her son, Dennis – named after her late father - was born in April last year and Esther returned to work in February.

“He lives up to his name - he’s definitely a menace!” Esther said. “But he’s the light of my life, I can’t imagine being without him. I’m so lucky.

“Now I’m able to use my lived experience in my work.

“I want people to know that you don’t have to be at breaking point to call 111 press 2. No problem is too small for us. There’s no judgement – we’re here to help.”