Hundreds turn out for Guisborough veteran's funeral amid calls for better PTSD care
Kris Jepson speaks to friends of Sam Morgan about the need for more support for veterans living wit post-traumatic stress disorder.
Hundreds of people turned out in Guisborough town centre to pay their respects to a former Royal Marine, who died in November 2024.
Sam Morgan, 36, served in the Royal Marines on three tours of Afghanistan, but after leaving the military, he lived with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
His family and friends tried to support him in getting mental healthcare through charities, but say they were frustrated by the lack of face to face appointments with the service provided through the Ministry of Defence, with Sam only being offered online appointments.
His friend, Tom Carrol, told ITV News Tyne Tees: "They have to get face to face care from the military. That’s a duty of care, that’s what the campaign is about and that’s what we need. They have to step in and give them immediate care for PTSD."
During Sam's funeral, dozens of people stood outside the church to hear the service, which was played on a tannoy.
Sam's friend, Chris Hankinson, read a moving eulogy, paying respects to Sam's family and especially his wife, Holly, who had supported her husband throughout his mental health illness.
He said: "Sam was an incredible friend to everyone that came into contact with him. He was the kind of person that could go anywhere in the world and wherever he went, he’d come back with friendships formed and bonds in the strangest of circumstances.
"Today’s service was a fitting tribute. It was great to see so many people who were brothers of Sam’s in the marines come up, you know, as you can see, there was people coming from as far as Devon to pay their respects to Sam."
The government says it is investing £21m a year to run veterans’ mental health services.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence told ITV News: "The death of any person in the Armed Forces community is a tragedy. We recognise the profound impact that this has, and our sympathies remain with Sam’s family and friends at this difficult time.
"We are determined to provide the best possible mental healthcare services to our Armed Forces. For those personnel requiring medical treatment, the MOD provides a responsive, flexible, accessible and comprehensive treatment service. Veterans in every part of the UK can now access dedicated mental health services, including through OP COURAGE in the NHS in England."