Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist suicide prevention work.
Getting help
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek help, and most people recover over time. It's important to understand what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your doctor or your local health center, or a mental health service in your local area. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who collaborate with the people who utilize the service. Depending on the type of help you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in a form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what kind of support you need. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea to contact your regular team first, unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to them within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from mental health issues are assisted in emergencies.
assessment of mental health offers a range of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat milder illnesses, however more serious issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in both community and primary health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are one of the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the 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 programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also an important part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.
There are many different types of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others are available via a remote device. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and courses, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth 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.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe places.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. But there is more to be done.
People who are in a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the services available to those who require these services. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand services for those who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop 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 qualified therapists.
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 volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those with mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this option.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think will be able to help. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also request the GP to provide more information 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 as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists work with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming any crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check when the request is urgent.