Issues such as staff shortages and under-investment have hindered improvements in mental health services, a report has found.

According to the Commission for Health Improvement, NHS units are relying upon agency staff due to a national shortage of inpatient nurses and psychiatrists.

Rosie Winterton, health minister, said: "Improving mental health services is a top priority for the government.

"This report from CHI highlights important issues such as specialist staff shortages and facilities that need improvement.

"These are some of the reasons we have embarked on a radical programme of modernisation to improve patient access to effective treatment, raise standards and tackle variations in services around the country.

"Despite the significant progress and good practice identified by CHI we recognise the challenges and we know that more needs to be done to reverse decades of neglect in mental health services.

"Radical reform will take time but I am confident our ten-year ambitious programme of modernisation will deliver better services.

"For example, we know that £262 million extra was spent last year to fast forward the National Service Framework and to deliver our NHS plan commitments so that the NHS continues to provide better levels of care.

"We recognise the need for more specialist mental health staff. We've increased the number of nurses in psychiatry by 3,655 and have raised the number of training places by over a third already. Further increases are planned this year.

"The number of consultant psychiatrists has risen by over 30 per cent since 1997 and the number of psychologists by over 50 per cent. We are increasing funding to train psychiatrists at Specialist Registrar level and exploring international recruitment at consultant level.

"We have also launched guidance for mental health services for black and ethnic minority communities to ensure that services are improved and are specifically tailored to ethnic minority communities."

Paul Burstow, health spokesman, said: "This timely report shows there is little Christmas cheer for mental health patients this year.

"Decades of underinvestment and neglect have left mental health services struggling to cope with staff and bed shortages, over-stretched budgets, and crumbling buildings.

"Ministers have claimed that mental health is a priority for them, but services for younger and older patients are still missing out.

"It is appalling that after six years of government, Labour are obsessed with draconian legislation but fail to deliver mental health services fit for the 21st century."

Forum Response: SANE

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of SANE, said: "Far from being a snapshot where there have been impressive results, this report reveals the profound failure of the NHS to provide the fundamentals of mental health care: beds, doctors, nurses, and wards which are not squalid and rife with violence and drugs.

"Until basic care is offered in conditions of safety for staff and patients, any apparent improvements will be cosmetic and fail those in need."

Forum Response: Depression Alliance

Jim Thomson, chief executive of Depression Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "Depression Alliance welcomes the CHI report which clearly outlines the problems facing the NHS with regards mental health.

"We also welcome Rosie Winterton's commitment to improvements in response to the report.

"The recent consultation over choice in the NHS for (amongst other health issues) people affected by mental health problems outlines clearly where the government needs to invest.

"We are hearing some very positive messages from the Department of Health, now we await the action."