Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover over time. It is important to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your GP (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically ask you to fill in a form so that they can refer you to a community mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you are already receiving mental health services it is recommended to contact your regular team first, unless 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. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they were first introduced 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 component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is an individual choice. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's a lot of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care but it's still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are typically located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver 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 working to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being broken down. But there is more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who require them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health issues, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
Additionally to recommended you read , there are a lot of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations also provide support groups in person for those who prefer this option.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They also offer a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for those living with mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they think can assist. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention program where psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick when they believe the referral is urgent.