EXCLUSIVE - Danny Chambers: "We can save lives and ensure that no farmer feels they have to struggle alone"

Winchester MP Danny Chambers writes on rural isolation, why farmers struggle to access healthcare support, and how the Government could roll out a farm gate mental health programme to help farmers receive vital well-being services

clock • 3 min read
Danny Chambers, Liberal Democrats spokesperson for mental health, said: "One of the biggest barriers farmers face is that traditional healthcare systems are simply not designed around farming life. When you are running a farm, you cannot sit on a waiting list for months or rearrange everything for a mid-week appointment. Support has to fit around the realities of food production."
Image:

Danny Chambers, Liberal Democrats spokesperson for mental health, said: "One of the biggest barriers farmers face is that traditional healthcare systems are simply not designed around farming life. When you are running a farm, you cannot sit on a waiting list for months or rearrange everything for a mid-week appointment. Support has to fit around the realities of food production."

Farming can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, but also one of the toughest. Long hours, financial pressures, volatile markets, animal disease outbreaks and the sheer isolation of working...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

Login

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358
Register for free Join Now

 

More on Mental Health

Rural mental health and loneliness: Farming groups to join this winter
Mental Health

Rural mental health and loneliness: Farming groups to join this winter

This Christmas, rural organisations are hosting local events to bring together agricultural communities in a bid to tackle the winter blues

Mia Willemsen
clock 08 December 2025 • 4 min read
Farmer took his own life after guns returned to him
Mental Health

Farmer took his own life after guns returned to him

High profile farmer Richard Haddock was said to be ‘depressed' after he was prosecuted by the Environment Agency for allowing illegal waste to be dumped on his land in Devon

Farmers Guardian
clock 24 November 2025 • 5 min read
'It's been hard lying in hospital thinking how to save my farm': Countryfile segment lays bare mental health toll of IHT reforms
Mental Health

'It's been hard lying in hospital thinking how to save my farm': Countryfile segment lays bare mental health toll of IHT reforms

NFU Cymru Crops Board chair Tom Rees and his family shared their stories on BBC Countryfile, demonstrating the real life impact of the proposed Inheritance Tax reforms

Tom Ryder
clock 29 October 2025 • 4 min read