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 offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Need help?
mental health assessment of four of us will experience mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover over time. It is important to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your physician, your local health center, or a mental health team in your area. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with those who utilize the service. Based on the kind of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of the normal hours, 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 that are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care that is provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis and provide support in their homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat milder conditions, but more severe illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams are spread across community and primary 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 popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously known as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.
There are a variety of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. There are also a lot of charities which offer support groups and courses like Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you must be aware that there's plenty of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care, it still struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They typically are located in a particular region, but can be commissioned to deliver national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also offers more efficient and safer methods to treat those who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe space.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is still more to do.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who need these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure 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 these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are severe 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 are seen faster by qualified therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.
Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling depressed or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They can offer a range of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will call the GP and explain the reasons. They may request the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are usually managed by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with the counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
One of the biggest challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are made within the appropriate timeframe. One of the issues is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check if the request is urgent.