Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One of four people will be affected by mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will improve over time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from your GP, your local health center, or a mental health service in your community. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. Depending on the type of help you need you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out the form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be consulted by members of the mental team which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea try and contact your usual team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that people experiencing a mental crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor conditions, but more severe conditions will require an expert team. These teams work in primary and community mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their numbers of clients increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also help reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
There are a variety of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's the choice of the patient. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. The site contains a wealth of information that is reliable, but be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve mental health care but it struggles to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They typically are located in a specific area however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.
The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. mental health assessment is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. But there is more to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need these services. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling depressed or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs must make difficult choices about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they believe will be able to help. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They could request the GP to alter the referral or request additional information.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may decide to refer a patient to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local health care organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead to over-working and delays for people who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using an established referral form that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick when the request is urgent.