MENTAL health services in Oxfordshire look set to be cut by 20 per cent over the next five years, sparking fears of a rise in suicides and self-harm.

Last night mental health bosses defended their plans to make ‘efficiency savings’ by cutting services by a fifth, saying patient services would improve.

A document obtained by the Oxford Mail outlines the plans by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, formerly the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust.

The document, from a staff engagement event, reveals plans for 20 per cent savings from services, 30 per cent from corporate functions, and 25 per cent from estates.

It states the need for the trust to make more than £40m in overall savings over the next five years.

Last night a service user said cuts to frontline services could trigger an influx in the number of people with mental health problems being admitted to hospital and a rise in suicides.

But the trust insisted the cuts would actually improve services, despite needing to make an average of five per cent savings overall each year over the next five years.

A spokesman said: “The percentage savings that we have to make cover a five-year period and are in line with national policy.

“The savings represent an average of about five per cent each year.

“Corporate services are taking a bigger share of the savings challenge to protect frontline services, however, the plans we have in place for the next five years have been assessed for their impact on patient care and we believe that in becoming more efficient we can provide all our services with improvements to overall quality for patients.”

The trust currently employs about 3,000 people, and cares for about 14,000 Oxfordshire people with mental health conditions.

Next month the trust will integrate with Community Health Oxfordshire (CHO), a move it claims will allow care to be provided closer to people’s homes and make better use of facilities.

The trust refused to give details on how the cuts, which will begin to be implemented from the next financial year in April, would directly affect services and patients, as it said it was still working on it.

But one 66-year-old service user, who does not wish to be named, believes there will be huge gaps in provision.

She said: “They can’t provide what they have provided up until now with 20 per cent cuts to services. This is very, very bad news and we will see this in years to come.

“Potentially more people will be admitted to hospital and suicide among the mentally ill will increase as they feel they have nowhere to turn.”

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust changed its name last month when it began to provide services in Wiltshire, Swindon, and Bath and North East Somerset. It yesterday moved to reassure patients.

A spokesman added: “Our savings plans have been developed across all services.

“The NHS has been required to make year-on-year savings for some time now as part of the funding arrangements in place and the level of savings we have planned for are at a level found across the NHS.

“We believe our approach secures services for the future.

“We are working closely with our staff and managers on these plans.”