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 an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One out of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek help and most of us recover after a while. But it's important to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources 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 speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with clients who seek 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 they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will be consulted by a member of the mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can call the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in crisis. If you already receive mental health support 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 that have links to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the mental health services delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening up 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 that those suffering from a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams operate in community and primary healthcare facilities as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since they were introduced 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.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how chemicals in your brain work. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are offered, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others can be done online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is reliable, but be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the quality of mental health care, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific area, but they can be commissioned to offer national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. weblink private mental health is trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe places.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. But there is still more to do.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve the quality of services for those who need them. 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 inpatient wards and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also extend 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 issues the help they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health issues.
In addition to that, there are a lot of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organizations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both online and in local groups. They can also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for those living with mental health problems.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult choices about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able to aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist works with a counselor to help someone overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using an established referral form that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.