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 investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist suicide prev ention work.
Need help?
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. But it's important to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) 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 collaborate with clients who seek their services. Based on the type of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you to specify what kind of support you need. You will be seen by members of the mental team which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea contact your regular team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health issues. GPs are usually able to treat minor disorders, but more serious issues will require an expert team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and also mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers 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 element of treatment. They can improve 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 the best medication 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 performed remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's the choice of the patient. There are also a lot of charities that offer support groups and classes like Mind. The site is full of reliable information, but be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading statements on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific area, but can be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being taken down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are in mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
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 run by trained volunteers. They offer an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide advice and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They also provide various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional 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 to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or request additional information.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A doctor may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run either by a large hospital or local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide 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 challenges that CMTs CMT is ensuring that all referrals are made within an appropriate time frame. One of the problems is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been accomplished by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check if the request is urgent.