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 reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
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 ways to get assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover with time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources like your GP (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. Based on the type of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be performed by a nurse specialist. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you are already receiving mental health support It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless outside of hours, or on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and will provide assistance to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that people experiencing a mental crisis are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious conditions require specialists. These teams work across community and primary mental health services and also psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help for those who are in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously known as IAPT These programs have seen referrals increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Iam Psychiatry are also an important part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
There are many different types of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be done online. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. There are also a number of charities which offer support groups and courses like Mind. The website contains a wealth of reliable information however, be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services, it still struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe places.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve services for people who require them. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. 70% of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health issues regardless of whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are treated by trained therapists faster.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is 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 provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations 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 experienced volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They can provide a variety of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services to refer their 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 can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then evaluate the referral and decide 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 reason. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to alter the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP may refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who require to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the challenges is that many referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might 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 tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.