It was only understood relatively recently that more veterans of the Falklands committed suicide after being discharged than died in the conflict itself. The same seems to be true for the Gulf War, where just 47 died but 183 suicides or open verdicts have also been recorded. Such a ratio has clear and sobering implications for the Afghan conflict, in which British soldiers have seen the heaviest fighting since Korea. Combat Stress, a charity supported by The Daily Telegraph that has been doing outstanding work since the First World War, estimates that it takes up to 14 years for the full symptoms to emerge.  So far, the Government’s policy has been to discharge the veterans and trust the National Health Service to do whatever is necessary. But among the charities who work with them, there is little if any confidence that the NHS is up to the task. A Royal British Legion survey among GPs found widespread ignorance about the very specific factors that affect former soldiers. The Department of Health now has a Military Health & Veterans division, which has set up guidelines for doctors. But those who run it have been appalled by the low level of interest in their work.  It is easy to see why. Statistically, the average GP sees a new veteran every 16 months – making ex-servicemen a tiny fraction of their workload. Combat Stress says that just five per cent of its referrals come from GPs; many are soldiers from the Bosnian campaign. It is difficult to imagine that the NHS will be much improved by the time the veterans of Afghanistan start to come forward. The Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, is ill-inclined to take over. This is not simply official callousness: the military is reluctant to believe that its troops are so broken, and is understandably suspicious about studies suggesting (as one did recently) that 9 per cent of prisoners are ex-military. Besides, the quality of much of the data is so poor that no one knows for sure.  As for the Prime Minister himself, it is impossible to fault his efforts. Three days after assuming office, he called Andrew Murrison, a Tory MP and former naval doctor, and asked him to produce a report on veterans’ mental health. This is now being implemented in full, with urgency. Liam Fox, a former Army doctor, had campaigned for years on mental health, and could not have been more supportive. But in spite of seeing decades of cases of traumatic stress – many involving those who served in Northern Ireland – the medical and military establishment is still feeling its way.  The wholehearted public support has at least led to a number of excellent and entrepreneurial ex-service charities being set up. But their funding is vulnerable. At present, wearing the poppy is very much the done thing – far more so than a generation ago. But when the judges on The X Factor display bejewelled poppies, it is in danger of becoming overly fashionable. When something becomes fashionable, inevitably it will soon become unfashionable. Combat Stress needs to raise £10 million a year to cope with its current workload: it may well need far more in short order, at a time when Afghanistan is receding from the headlines and funding for such charities is not so abundant.  The solution is becoming steadily clearer. Splitting funding across various Government departments is not working, and it is unrealistic to expect GPs to acquire the required expertise. Britain needs a dedicated ministry for veterans, similar to America’s, with regional centres and staff who can advise on anything from housing issues to employment advice, as well as co-ordinate with the network of service charities who seem very much here to stay. It could even be the perfect vehicle for the Prime Minister’s Big Society agenda.  Every time a politician suggests that Britain should introduce some flag-waving “national day”, the idea dies a death, amid deserved ridicule. Today is our national day, when we quietly remember those who died to assure Britain’s freedom – and who are still risking their lives for their country. Now, more than ever, remembrance is about helping the living as well as saluting the dead. And there is all too much work to do.  Fraser Nelson is Editor of 'The Spectator’  To contribute to the Enemy Within appeal, send a cheque payable to “Combat Stress” to the charity at Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX
Despite ministers’ best efforts, we still lag far behind America in caring for    our war veterans.