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 amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist suicide prevention work.
Get help
One out of four of us will experience mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and most of us will recover over time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources, including your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients), your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the clients who seek their services. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
You will be asked to complete a form with your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea call your usual team first unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and provide support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It also proposed to introduce 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 people who are having a mental health crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious conditions require specialists. These teams work in both community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe spaces where you can get help for those who are in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety 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 launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a crucial part of treatment. They can improve symptoms through changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is read more a personal preference. There are also a number of charities which offer support groups and courses like Mind. The site is full of information that is reliable however, be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are usually located in a specific area however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also offers safer and more effective ways to help those who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. However, there is much to do.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems require the ability to access the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve the services available to those who require them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer here a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E as well as on wards for patients, check here and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then work private mental health diagnosis towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand services for people who need them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people with mental health issues can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to people with mental health problems. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who are feeling depressed 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 great source of information and offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult choices regarding the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe can aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then evaluate the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They can also ask the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service check here (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist collaborates with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. One of the challenges is that many referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.