The NHS has been given an extra £5 miilion to improve the mental health services for children and young people.

The money will be used to increase the numbers of in-patient beds and other specialised services for children and young people suffering from serious mental health problems, often children in care.

It is part of an ongoing £90 million boost for child and adolescent mental health services in England spread over three years, announced last year.

Health Minister John Hutton said: "This investment will help to ensure that this particular group of vulnerable children will have improved access to in-patient and other specialist services.

"This extra investment will both help lay the foundations for these better services as well as fill some of the gaps which currently exist across the country."

The improvements include at least 20 additional hospital beds and new specialised intensive outreach services to reduce the need for hospital admissions and allow patients to be treated in the community.

How the cash is split between the regional health authorities:

Eastern £437,000
London £909,000
Northern and Yorkshire £703,000
North West £780,000
South East £704,000
Trent £512,000
West Midlands £549,000
South West £406,000