Research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists has found that despite government claims that mental health spending is at “record” levels, mental health trusts have less money to spend on patient care in real terms than they did in 2012.

The college is calling for trusts to be given more money and for better ways of tracking where mental health money is being spent, and said it fears some of that funding is failing to reach the front line.

According to the analysis, based on the latest available figures, the annual income of mental health trusts in England is lower than it was in 2011-12 once inflation is taken into account.

In England 62% of mental health trusts at the end of 2016-17 reported lower income than the amount for 2011-12.

A medical director from one Midlands mental health trust, who asked to remain anonymous, said doctors’ caseloads had gone up at the same time as public demand for treatment had risen, even as funding cuts meant some services have been scaled back.

Five years ago, they said, their trust had a liaison-psychiatry service seven days a week. That has now been cut down to weekdays only.

“Our doctors are seeing more patients and yet resources are more scarce," the medical director said. "How are we supposed to cope with this mental health crisis in that kind of environment?”