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 offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help and most of us recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care), 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 collaborate with patients who require their services. Based on the kind of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually require you to fill out the form to send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk to you about the kind of help you require. Then, you will be viewed by a member of a mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a nurse specialist. If you are experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea try and contact your usual team first unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or a bank holiday.
private mental health assessment ireland for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of the care given to those suffering from a mental health crisis and offer support in their homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from a mental health crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious conditions require a specialist team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services, and also the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance if you are feeling in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen referrals increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also a crucial component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others can be done online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. The site contains a wealth of information that is reliable, but be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve mental health care but it's struggling to meet the demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific area, but they can be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns over the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also provides more efficient and safer methods to treat those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. However, there is much 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 to ensure that those in need can get assistance. In 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 them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health issues, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health conditions are seen faster by trained therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations 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 is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult choices about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think could be able to assist. They can send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or ask for more information.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP can refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't need inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist to help a person overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
One of the challenges that a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are made within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been accomplished 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 can tick if the request is urgent.