Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover after a while. It is essential to know what help is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places like your doctor (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the people who use their services. You may receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you to specify what type of assistance you require. You will be seen by a member of the mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be performed by a clinical nurse specialist. You can call the NHS 111 helpline when you're in a crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea 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 establish multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and offer support to them within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more severe conditions require specialists. These teams operate in both community and primary mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular types of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
There are a variety of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others are available remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the quality of mental health care, but it's struggling to meet the demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific area however, they can also be contracted to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the growing 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 methods of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods of treating those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to do.
People who are in mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services so that people in need can get assistance. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100% coverage.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are seen by qualified therapists, faster.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health issues.
In addition to that, there are a lot of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are available. Many of these organizations also provide support groups in person for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as 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, including mindfulness classes to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain why. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't need inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
mental health diagnostic assessment of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all referrals are allocated within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.
