More mental health professionals are expected to be recruited.

They are for patients in Dover and Deal who need additional support of that from GPs but not full specialists.

A new contract for primary care will go out to tender next Tuesday .

The news came after a meeting last week at Deal Mental Health Centre organised by local MP Charlie Elphicke.

Health bosses also discussed plans to improve crisis support – recruiting a new emergency response team leader and introducing an active review system for better monitoring of deteriorating mental health.

Mr Elphicke said: “Mental health is just as important as physical health – and it must be treated that way.

“It’s been a long battle but things are starting to improve. Spending has increased to more than £11 billion, with even more earmarked in the Budget. The number of mental health professionals is being boosted by 21,000.

“But there’s more work to do, particularly with how the various support points work with each other. That’s why it was incredibly useful to get everyone together like this.”

The meeting was attended by local health spenders the South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group, including chief operating officer Karen Benbow and mental health commissioner Andy Oldfield.

Members of the mental health providers Kent and Medway Social Care Partnership Trust also attended.

These were chief executive Helen Greatorex, deputy chief operating officer Vicky Stevens and assistant medical director for Community Recovery Dr Kirsten Lawson.

Also there were local mental health support group Talk It Out’s founder Tracy Carr and mental health service users Kirk Ross and Kelly Ann Evans.

Mrs Carr said: “It was great the right people turned up and some really positive changes are taking place. It may take time to see massive results because there’s a lot to improve on.

“But we heard some things which should help things drastically. "