Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One out of four of us will experience mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and most of us will be able to recover over time. It's important to understand what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from your physician or your local health center or a mental health team in your area. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with the people who use their services. Based on the type of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk with you about the type of help you require. You will be seen by an individual from the mental team, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you already receive mental health services it is recommended to contact your regular 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 establish multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care given to those experiencing a mental health crisis and offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require a specialist team. mental health evaluation operate in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric 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 anxiety and depression. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.
There are many different types of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be done via remote access. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is trustworthy but you should be aware that there are numerous false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a particular region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are experiencing a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who require these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E as well as on wards for patients, and that 70% of them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions regardless of whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people with mental health issues can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that can offer help and advice to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They offer a variety of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under strain and GPs must make difficult decisions about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they think will be able to help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They may request the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.
One of the biggest challenges faced by CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick if they feel that the referral is urgent.