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 providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental healthcare services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One of four people will be affected by mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and many of us will be able to recover with time. It is important to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your doctor or your local health center or mental health service in your community. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with the people who utilize the service. 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 GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you what type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to them within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making emergency services available by cutting down wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more serious conditions require specialists. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services and mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also a crucial part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others are available remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's an individual choice. There are also a number of charities that offer support groups and classes like Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services, it still struggles to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in 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 can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
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. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. But there is still more to be done.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should 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 need these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, including psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. please click the next website offer an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to manage 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, strategies for coping and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups 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 who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support, both online and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for those living with mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
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 consider the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. 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 also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the major challenges faced by CMTs CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. One of the problems is that a large number of referrals are deemed urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick when the request is urgent.