MENTAL health spending has reduced by one per cent in York, a city MP has said.

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, said the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), is spending one per cent less of its total budget on mental health services compared with last year. 

According to a Freedom of Information request made by the Labour party, CCGs are planning to allocate an average of just ten per cent of their budgets to mental health, compared to 11 per cent in 2014/15. But in York, the CCG plans to spend just nine per cent of its budget on mental health services this year.

Ms Maskell has said the area receives a reduced amount of funding per capita under the government's funding formula.

She said the reduced funding nationally is evidence of the Government failing to honour its promise to ensure that local mental health spending increases across the country this year.

Ms Maskell said: “Neglecting mental health provision costs us as a nation, both financially and socially, as well as increasing pressure on the NHS and hospital services. With fully funded services, lives can be supported and turned around.

“Taking action to improve mental health is essential if we are to thrive and improve the wellbeing of our nation. I have recently met with a range of NHS organisation to ensure that we do improve the mental health provision in York, as well as deliver a modern facility to replace Bootham Hospital at the earliest opportunity."