The government has pledged to investigate the case of a mental health patient who has been transferred more than 100 times.

Speaking in Parliament today, South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay cited the troubles of one of his constituents who was institutionalised 11 years ago.

In this time, the patient has been moved more than 100 times - often out of area - by the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Trust.

Mr Mackinlay has called for the government to do more to allow patients to stay within their area.

He said: "One of my constituents is a patient of Kent and Medway Health and Social Care Partnership. He was first admitted on a temporary basis following an unfortunate but mild episode.

"He has now been institutionalised for 11 years and has been moved more than 100 times during that period, often out of area.

"The Trust itself 289 out of area placements for adult mental health services, an increase of 100 over the past year, and the cost to local health budgets is obvious.

"Does my right honourable friend agree that my constituent, and all the other out of area patients deserve local health provision to enable them to remain within the Trust area."

Jackie Doyle-Price, parliamentary under secretary for health and social care, said she was "horrified" to hear of the case and promised to meet with Mr Mackinlay.

The Thurrock MP said: "Frankly I am horrified to hear the account he (Mr Mackinaly) has just raised.

"Patients deserve local health provision to enable them to remain within the Trust area..." Craig Mackinlay

"We have made a priority of getting rid of out of area placements because we know that patients will do better if they're among their friends and family.

"Clearly the account he has just outlined, which has been for the last eleven years, is totally unacceptable and I will give this case my own personal attention and will meet to discuss it."

A spokesperson for Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) said: “KMPT is committed to ensuring that local patients can be admitted to a local KMPT bed and looked after by their local clinical team.

“There are only two groups of people who may need admission outside Kent. The first is women who need Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU). We do not yet have a female only PICU and whilst we work with our commissioners to find a solution in the county, we do use on average ten female PICU beds at a time.

“The second group is those whose needs are complex or specialist. Just as with physical illnesses or conditions, our patients may need to be admitted to a specialist national unit.

“If our patients are placed outside the county, we continue to support them and their families. We recall our patients to a KMPT bed as soon as is clinically appropriate.”