First Minister John Swinney has been urged to intervene to stop "unacceptable" cuts to voluntary organisations which could leave Edinburgh without any third-sector mental health services.

A succession of Lothian MSPs used First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament to highlight the threatened cuts by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, which oversees health and social care in the Capital.

Labour's Foysol Choudhury said the organisations affected included the Stafford centre, which supported 640 people with mental health issues and was estimated to save the NHS up to £4.4 million in hospital admissions.

Noting Mr Swinney's support for prevention, Mr Choudhury asked: "Given the situation in joint boards across Scotland, does the First Minister recognise that prevention will not be possible if IJBs are in permanent financial crisis?"

Lothian Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour said: "I have been contacted by numerous charities in my region that will have to cease providing vital preventative care for individuals in the Lothians due to the IJB cuts."

And he asked of Mr Swinney: "Will he now intervene in the crisis to make sure that NHS Lothian does not cut the budget to the IJB? That cut would put vulnerable people out of the services that they require.

“Will he now be proactive in working with NHS Lothian and the council to make sure that the IJB gets the appropriate funding?"

Mr Swinney said he wanted to ensure the type of services referred to were supported around the country. But he said: "Those are operational decisions for integration joint boards to make."

And he attacked both Labour and the Tories for not supporting the government's budget, which he said was delivering the investment that was necessary in health and social care.

Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs returned to the issue, asking if Mr Swinney thought that health services would be improved by the IJB decisions.

Mr Briggs said: "The proposals are likely to see key services cut, including drop-in support, carers services and, even as we mark victory in Europe day, veterans support services.

“The First Minister apportioned blame, but the cuts are not acceptable. The IJB will cut £29 million from services in Edinburgh.

"Will he agree to meet the cross-party group of MSPs who are trying to raise the issue in Parliament and who have just had the First Minister whack this back at us? We need action and we want the First Minister to take heed of that today."

Mr Swinney said investment in preventative services did not happen by accident, but by political choice.

"Mr Briggs was one of those who voted against the Government’s budget and he argued in favour, as his leader did, of £1 billion of cuts in public expenditure. How does Mr Briggs think that it would be possible to invest in local services with £1 billion of swingeing cuts from the Conservatives?"