Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Get assistance
One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek help and most of us recover after a while. It is crucial to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from your physician, your local health center, or a mental health service in your community. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of help you need.
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 talk with you about the kind of help you need. You will be consulted by a member of a mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you are already receiving mental health support, it is best to call your usual team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or 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. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to them within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are usually able to treat milder conditions, but more severe illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and also psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also an important element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. 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 you should be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They are usually located in a specific area however, they may be commissioned to offer national services.
The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are private mental health care near me over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those in need receive assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. We will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT), so that more people with mental health issues can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides 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 trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk, or offer information and advice on how to deal with your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this option.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who are feeling depressed or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult decisions about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can aid. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain their reasons. They could also ask the GP to alter the referral or ask for more information.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the challenges that CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all referrals are allocated within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check if the request is urgent.