MORE people were using NHS mental health services across Morecambe Bay in July than at the same point last summer, figures show.

Mental health charity Mind is calling for the Government to prioritise mental health, after figures showed a significant rise in the number of people receiving help across England in the last year.

NHS Digital figures show around 8,870 people were in contact with mental health services in the NHS Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group area at the end of July.

This was an increase of 16 per cent from 7,670 at the same point last year, though it was fewer than the 8,950 at the end of June.

Across England, 1.44 million people were in contact with mental health services at the end of July.

Though down slightly from 1.46 million a month previously, this was a rise of nine per cent compared to the same month a year before.

It was also the highest figure for the month of July since comparable records began in 2016.

Leila Reyburn, policy and campaigns manager at Mind, said: "These figures demonstrate just how many of us are struggling with our mental health as we emerge from the pandemic.