CARERS who look after mental health patients in Worcestershire need more support says a charity after an independent report revealed failings in the service.

The support for relatives and friends who look after people with mental health problems needs to "double" says the Worcestershire Mental Health Network following the publication of a an independent survey this month.

The survey by the Healthcare Commission which shows the mixed fortunes of mental health patients in Worcestershire.

Of the 212 people who responded to the survey, 83 per cent said the services they received were good, very good or excellent, an improvement on the previous year.

However, nearly half (44 per cent) said carers had not received enough support from community mental health services.

One in three people are without access to out of hours crisis care and more than one in three felt that information about local health services and support groups should be made more available.

Only 52 per cent had been given or offered a written copy of their care plan under the Care Programme Approach.

More than one in four of those with more complex and enduring mental health needs had not received a review in the past 12 months.

Jacquie Nuttall, Worcestershire Mental Health Network's chief officer, said she accepted there was a commitment from the NHS Mental Health Partnership, Worcestershire County Council and the Primary Care Trust to develop better services, far more needed to be done.

She added: "When you move mental health services out of hospitals into the community you need to double the support for carers not reduce it as has happened in our county. In Worcestershire, carers support workers have been reduced from two full time posts to one part-time post, and there is currently no-one in post."

However, the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, maintains that the relationship between psychiatrist and service users continues to improve.

John Calvert, chairman of the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: "We welcome the findings of the Healthcare Commission's survey. Understanding what patients think about the care and treatment they receive is crucial in helping us raise standards and improve the quality of care we provide."

The national survey was co-ordinated by the National Centre for Social Research was carried out in the spring by 69 trusts and the results were published by the Healthcare Commission.

The survey has been running every year for the last four years.