Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Helping yourself
One out of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and most of us will recover over time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places such as your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. You may receive individual or group therapy based on the kind of help you require.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in an application form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can call the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in crisis. If you are already receiving mental health support 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 outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care given to those experiencing an illness of mental health and offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make emergency services available by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have 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 for mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat milder disorders, but more serious illnesses will require an expert team. These teams are located in community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a safe space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there's a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care but it's still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They typically are located in a specific region however, they can also be contracted to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to do.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues need to be able to access the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those in need can get assistance. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health conditions are seen faster by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They offer a safe space to talk or provide guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details about other services. private mental health diagnosis as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will call the GP and explain their reasons. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to modify the referral.
Referrals to 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 health 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 cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.