A LETTER has been sent from Wyre Forest Labour Party to the Prime Minister, calling for the district to receive its 'fair share' of funding for mental health services.

The letter, which has also been sent to Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier, calls upon the government to ensure that mental health services, including those for children, receive a fair share of any increased investment in the NHS.

Ben Davies, Labour constituency secretary, said: "Wyre Forest is one of the highest areas for young people self harming in the county and the county has a higher self-harm rate than the West Midlands.

"This is a damning, yet preventable indictment, of this Tory government’s failure to address the issues and the desperate concerns of local people."

Party press officer Stephen Brown added: "When the mental health service at Harvington Ward at Kidderminster Hospital was closed not so long ago, despite the public consultation calling for it to stay open, our MP offered up no objection, nor did he think it worthy of any comment at all.

"Yet, at the same time, he says he wants to protect services at our local hospital. Therein lies the problem. He’s just full of hot air - he doesn’t really care.

"Those in authority constantly dress up cuts as improvements to services. There is zero accountability of those destroying our services. People are being taken for mugs.”

MP Mr Garnier said: "Mental health services are incredibly important to those who need them. I meet with people who need help, yet it seems to have taken too much time for help to be delivered.

"That is why I am pleased that the government has prioritised mental health services and that they are being delivered here in Wyre Forest.

"However, ensuring public services are delivered properly in their constituencies is an important part of an MP's work and so I will continue to monitor local delivery to ensure we get an exemplary service."