Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One of four people will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover over time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your doctor (primary medical doctor who treats patients), your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk to you about the type of help you require. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In certain instances the assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of normal hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care given to those suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams are located in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen referrals increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also an important element of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, but others are available via a remote device. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there is lots of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet demand. In the UK click here there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They usually are located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe places.
Helping you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who need them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, such as psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. 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 free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with a mental health issue. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people who suffer from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer here support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They also provide a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They could request the GP to change the referral or request more details.
Referrals to a local Community read more Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type get more info of mental health referral.
A GP may also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention here service where psychiatrists work with a therapist in order to assist a person overcome a crisis 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 deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to check if they feel that the referral is urgent.