Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
One out of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. Based on the type of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will typically request you to fill out a form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will then be examined by someone from a mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in an emergency. If you already receive mental health support, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless it's out of hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan aims to make emergency services available by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat milder disorders, but more serious illnesses will require a specialist team. mental illness assessment are located in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were 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 drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.
There are many kinds of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, while others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of many charities that offer support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care but it's still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They usually are located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over the quality of care and there is a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by offering more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are suffering from mental health issues need to be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need are able to access them. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards 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. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, such as psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so 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 anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner, or offer information and advice on how to deal with your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that provide help and advice to those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are struggling or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They can offer a range of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult choices about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they think can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll call the GP and explain why. They might also ask the GP to modify the referral or ask for more details.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist works with an counselor to help someone overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check when the referral is urgent.