Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One in four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and many of us will recover with time. It is essential to know what help is available and who is able to provide it.
You can get help from your physician, your local health center, or a mental health service in your local area. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. You can receive individual or group therapy based on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically ask you to fill in an application form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be consulted by a member of the mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you already receive mental health services, it is best to call your usual team first, unless it's 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 which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting 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 a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services, and also psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. Formerly known as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be done remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. The site is full of information that is trustworthy but you should be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing 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 they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are typically located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. But there is more to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need receive help. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand services for those who require them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of people with common or severe mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen more quickly by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides confidential, free 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. They offer the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide information and advice on how to deal with your mental health issues.
There are a variety of local organisations that can provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They also provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health problems.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able assist. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists collaborate with therapist in order to assist a person overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead to over-working and delays for people who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is an urgent referral. see it here was accomplished by using a standardised form which asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.