PSYCHOSIS sufferers are starting their treatment in record time, said NHS chiefs.

Almost nine in ten patients suffering from the condition are starting their treatment within two weeks of being referred by a GP or other NHS service.

A care programme championed by NHS England South sees youth-focussed, community mental health teams work on a one-to-one basis with patients, who as part of their psychosis typically experience hallucinations and delusions.

The target is that at least half of patients referred to the service are moved on to an approved form of treatment within two weeks.

In NHS England’s “South Central” region, which stretches from Berkshire and Bath to Swindon and Gloucestershire, by May 2017 88.2 per cent of patients were being treated within two weeks of being referred.

The work has been delivered by local mental health NHS trusts.

The successes of the scheme were presented at an NHS-wide conference this week.

Nigel Acheson, Medical Director for NHS England South, said: “Psychosis can be terribly distressing for individuals and their loved ones, so it’s gratifying to see local mental health services across the South responding so well to this initiative.”