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 has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One in four of us will have mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and many of us will be able to recover over time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from your GP or the local health center or mental health team in your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. You can 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 they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will then be seen by a member of a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In certain instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you already receive support for your mental health it is recommended to contact your primary 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 team of mental health professionals in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to patients in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making emergency services available by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health issues. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs however more severe conditions require specialists. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services and mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek help if you are feeling in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.
There are many different types of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be done via remote access. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. There are also a number of charities that offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet the demand. 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 specific region however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are concerns about the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve these services by delivering more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure places.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. But there's still a lot to do.
People experiencing mental health issues need to be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them can get help. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand services for people who require them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. how to get mental health assessment will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be treated by trained therapists quicker.
The NHS provides 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 run by trained volunteers. They offer the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There is 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 great source of information and can provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can also offer many classes and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs must make difficult choices about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they think could be able to assist. They can send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They may also ask the GP for more details or to alter the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their life.
One of the major challenges that CMTs CMT is to ensure that all referrals are made within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.