Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One of four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. However, it is important to know what help is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places, including your GP (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. You may receive individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk to you about what kind of help you require. You will be seen by members of a mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you already receive mental health services it is recommended 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 outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from a mental health crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams work across community and primary mental health services and also the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital component of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others can be done online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care but it's still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a specific region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. However, there is much to do.
People who are in a mental crisis need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need are able to access help. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive for 100% coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, such as psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They offer an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organizations that provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. the original source of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They also provide many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able help. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They may also request the GP for more details or to alter the referral.
The referral to 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 preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the problems is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick if they feel the referral is urgent.