A campaign to cut the waits for treatment suffered by people with mental health problems has been launched.

Rethink - formerly the National Schizophrenia Fellowship - describes the level of delays as "unacceptable".

It says that while waiting times are beginning to fall for people with severe physical illnesses, little was being done to help those with mental illness.

In some cases, the waiting time for people showing early signs of severe mental illness was two years or more, it said.

Even individuals showing clear signs of psychosis, such as hearing voices or experiencing delusions, waited an average of 18 months before getting help.

One in three people seeking help were turned away, according to Rethink statistics - with the end result that in many cases, their condition worsened and their first treatment was compulsory emergency treatment after being "sectioned".

Action plan

Rethink's "Reaching People Early" campaign is urging the government to help cut the average 18 month wait.

Chief executive Cliff Prior said: "Waiting times have been rightly slashed for people affected by physical health problems, but it still takes an average of 18 months to receive the help you need when you experience a severe mental illness."

He blamed decades of underfunding for the present problems in the service.

"We want the government and health staff to take up the Rethink challenge and commit themselves to slashing delays."

Rethink represents not only schizophrenics, but other people with severe mental illness.