Almost £8 million has been cut from mental health services in Kent in the past four years.

The figures can be revealed on the same day a Care Quality Commission report shows 42% of people with mental illness are receiving inadequate care.

A Kent Messenger freedom of information request showed Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) — the organisation responsible for providing psychiatric services across the county — has had £7,993,000 sliced from its budget since 2011.

The areas hardest hit were the Community Mental Health Teams.

The CMHT, which help 18 to 65-year-olds who have severe long term psychiatric needs and are not in hospital, had £1,386,000 of funding slashed in the last financial year alone.

In the same 12-month period almost half a million pounds was cut from all services provided in west Kent and in 2011 the trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services underwent a £76,000 reduction in spending.

"We work hard to strive to provide services to those who need our care with the funding we receive..." - KMPT spokesman

Additionally just over £6million of government funding has been taken from KMPT since 2011 – money which would have been available to all services.

The CQC report showed the system was "struggling to cope" and A&E staff had demonstrated a lack of compassion towards patients with psychiatric issues.

Figures provided by cash-strapped KMPT also reveal that in the past two years 3.9% of follow up appointments – which are meant to take place within seven working days of a patient with mental health issues being discharged from hospital – did not go ahead.

A spokesman for the trust stressed a failure to meet the seven-day deadline could be down to a variety of reasons, including patients not being at home for a scheduled appointment.

In the same period one person committed suicide within two weeks of being discharged from hospital in the second quarter of 2014.

However, in April the KM reported Billy Kelly, a publican from Snodland, hanged himself in November just days after being discharged from Maidstone Hospital.

Mr Kelly’s death was not included in KMPT’s figures and the trust will look into the issue.

A spokesman for KMPT said: “We work hard to strive to provide services to those who need our care with the funding we receive.

“Separately the trust has been working hard to provide fit for purpose buildings from which to supply those services.

"Where our capital estates programme has identified opportunities for the sale of out of date and surplus properties, sale monies are then reinvested into providing efficient and fit for purpose buildings.”

Mental health charity Maidstone Mind has been approached for comment.