Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services more quickly than overall NHS budget. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Get assistance
One of four people will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek help, and most people recover over time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your doctor or the local health center or mental health team in your area. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. You may receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you need.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will then be seen by a member of a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some instances, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you are already receiving support for your mental health it is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it's out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. about his will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis and offer assistance in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health issues. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require specialists. These teams operate in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main types of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their numbers of clients increase each year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is reliable, but be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the mental health system, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also introduces more secure and efficient ways to help people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been broken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who need these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. We will work towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also increase services for people who require them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give thousands of more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people with mental health conditions can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or offer advice and guidance about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that provide support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this option.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They offer a variety of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they think will be able to help. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to modify the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local health organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome an issue or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the biggest challenges faced by a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. adult mental health assessment was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.