Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental healthcare services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Get help
One of four people will suffer from mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the kind 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 service in the community. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. Then, you will be viewed by someone from a mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some instances the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you are already receiving support for your mental health It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and provide support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health issues. GPs are usually able to treat less severe illnesses, however more serious conditions will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services, as well as mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help when you're in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others can be performed online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. There are a variety of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's lots of misleading or false 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 keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They are usually located in a specific 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 trying to improve the quality of care by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are in a mental crisis need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need receive assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide guidance and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
Additionally, there are a number of local organizations that can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making what is a mental health assessment are under strain and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe can aid. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also ask the GP to modify the referral or request more information.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP may refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. One of the problems is that a large number of referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in a crisis.
To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved by using a standardised form which asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to tick when they believe the referral is urgent.