PATIENTS in Blackburn are waiting 79 weeks to access vital counselling services.

Some 311 patients are waiting for counselling services in the East Lancashire, according to figures released by the county's mental health provider Lancashire Care NHS Trust.

A further 225 people are waiting up to 43 weeks to be seen in Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

Patients in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley face a far longer wait that those in Rossendale, Burnley, Pendle, West Lancashire, Blackpool and North Lancashire. There, the average waiting time is around 20 weeks.

Figures for other forms of mental health treatment reveal that patients in East Lancashire suffering from eating disorders are waiting up to 75 weeks.

Urgent cases are being seen within an average of 26 weeks. Currently there are 85 outstanding cases, with 11 designated as urgent.

Top waiting times in Central Lancashire, by comparison, are only 16 weeks, for psychological therapy, and 20 weeks for nutritional education courses.

People needing psychology services from community mental health teams are having to wait 34 weeks in Blackburn.

This is lower than Pendle (60 weeks) and Rossendale (112 weeks) but higher than in the Ribble Valley (22 weeks) and Hyndburn (18 weeks).

MIND chief executive Paul Farmer said: "Talking therapies must be a fundamental part of health services for everyone, wherever they live. Mental healthcare can't be treated as an optional extra."

Lancashire Care officials have promised to draw up an action plan to combat the waiting lists.

Talks are now set to take place with commissioners, such as Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire primary care trusts, to see how demand can be managed better in future.