Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four of us will experience mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help and most of us recover with time. It is essential to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
mental health assesment can seek assistance from a variety places such as your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with the patients who require their services. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the kind of help you need. You will be consulted by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you are already receiving mental health support, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless it is outside of hours, or on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care given to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also provide support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health issues. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services, and also mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you must be aware that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are usually located in a particular region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also offers safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being taken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those in need are able to access them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100% coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions regardless of whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists faster.
read this offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and activities can be included. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who feel down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support both online and in local groups. They can also offer various classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for those living with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they believe will be able to help. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They could request the GP to modify the referral or request more details.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their life.
One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are assigned within the appropriate timeframe. One of the challenges is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check when they believe that the referral is urgent.