Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Need help?
One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and most of us will improve over time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your doctor, your local health center or mental health team in your community. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. Based on the kind of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be assessed by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you already receive mental health services, it is best to contact your regular team first, unless it's out of hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to them in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat milder disorders, but more serious conditions will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services, and the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referrals increase every year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also a crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. There are a variety of charities that offer support groups and classes, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy, but be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They are usually located in a particular region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.
official website of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. But there is more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues require the ability to get the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them are able to access them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70% of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are seen by qualified therapists, quicker.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
Additionally, there are a number of local organizations that can offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in various forms such as online and through local groups. They also provide a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups which can be helpful for people suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will look at the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe can help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They can also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP might also decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention program where psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are allocated within the proper time frame. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check to indicate if the referral is urgent.