Mental health services face cuts

Mental health services face significant cuts across the country, with jobs and services under threat, according to a national charity.

Rethink has called for a national investigation after learning that at least nine areas each face major cuts that could be as high as £3 million over the next three years.

Chief executive Cliff Prior has written to health services minister Rosie Winterton calling for “an emergency plan to overcome the funding crisis”.

Among the areas affected are Cambridge, which is consulting the public on how to cut £3 million over the next three years following an overspend by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire primary care trusts.

Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS trust faces a 5-10 per cent cut in its mental health budget next year because of a debt inherited when two primary care trusts and a health authority merged.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We are aware of rumours about the financial position in mental health trusts and are examining the hard data to establish the true position.”