Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One in four people will be affected by a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from your doctor or your local health center or mental health team within your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. You may receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of assistance you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk with you about the type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team, which may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea try and contact your usual team first unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and provide support to patients in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat minor disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services and also psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space should you be in a state of 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 their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, whereas others are available via a remote device. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. There are a variety of charities that provide classes and support groups like Mind. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there is lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a specific region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The main issue is the lack of resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns about 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 ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient ways to help those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is still much to be done.
People experiencing mental health issues must be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services so that people in need are able to access help. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be treated by trained therapists faster.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run 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 issues.
Additionally, there are a number of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they think can assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
agree with this will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They may also ask the GP to alter the referral or request additional details.
Referrals 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 people to either a 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 types of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming any crisis or improve the quality of their life.
One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is ensuring that all suitable referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. One of the challenges is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what is an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check if the referral is urgent.