A man suffering from severe depression is calling on the Government's mental health czar to review the state of mental health services in Sussex.

David Northmore, a 43-year-old author from Mid Sussex, has written to Professor Louis Appebly urging him to plough new resources into Sussex and to turn the area into a health action zone.

Mr Northmore suffered a nervous breakdown which he claims was compounded because he was unable to gain easy access to treatment.

He said: "I recently had a nervous breakdown and have now been diagnosed as suffering from severe depression.

"I was beside myself with anxiety and depression - couldn't sleep or eat. I could potentially have been suicidal."

Mr Northmore tried to contact a GP in the middle of the night but found they were not able to offer any assistance as they did know how to handle psychiatric problems.

He said he had to wait for an emergency appointment a few days later and was prescribed anti-depressants, given a leaflet on depression and told to come back in a week.

Mr Northmore felt although the GP was doing his job to the best of his ability he did not have the necessary training to handle his type of problem.

He said: "There is a lack of information. The first port of call is the local GP and I don't think they are equipped to deal with this.

"There is very little information available to cope with this?

"I went to the Citizens' Advice Bureau and they had a leaflet but it was a bit out of date. Then I went to the library and they did not have anything.

"It is okay for some error but what about someone who is very vulnerable or suffering from serious illness - what do they do and what happens to them?"

Mr Northmore said there needed to be 24 hour mental service help.

He said: "If your life is threatened with a heart attack you call 999 and they know what to do but if someone is threatened through serious psychiatric illness and you dial 999 or call a doctor it doesn't appear anyone knows what to do.

"I am not just doing this for me. There is a major problem and a clear need for the right information to go to the right people at the right time."

Mr Northmore wants to see Sussex declared a mental health action zone.

He said: "You are in the worst condition you have ever experienced in your life and many people who go through that become suicidal and desperately need help. The health service is acknowledging that but the help is just not there when you need it."

Ernest Robinson, director of mental health services for Mid Sussex Health Trust, said: "As with physical illness the normal way would be to go to a GP and depending on the severity of it he would deal with it himself or refer it to the trust's services.

"If it is really urgent there is provision for people to be seen straight away by a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse."

Mr Robinson said the system was under constant review and the trust was implementing a number of new Government initiatives.

He said: "The Government is asking us to establish an assertive outreach team which will have the job of trying to engage people with mental health problems who find it difficult to use the system.

"We are going after people in a positive way to prevent more serious problems developing."

He said the new service would begin next month, adding they were also looking at establishing a crisis team to respond better to mental health problems and treat people at home.

He said anyone who wanted to get information and advice on mental health could go to one of three community mental health centres located in Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead.

Mr Northmoore has published three books. He plans to use his recent experiences to write a definitive guide about mental health services.