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 healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Get help
One out of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover after a while. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places like your GP (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with the people who use their services. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of assistance you need.
Your GP will usually require you to fill out an application form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk to you about the type of help you require. You will be consulted by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you're in an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to those in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also include an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that people experiencing a mental crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people can access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also a vital component of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals work. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. There are a variety of charities that provide classes and support groups, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth of information that is reliable but you should be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a specific region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are in mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need receive them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that can provide support and guidance to people with mental health problems. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. 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 who are feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can offer a range of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They could also ask the GP to change the referral or ask for more information.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. mental health assessment report provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. One of the problems is that a lot of referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check when the referral is urgent.