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 more quickly than overall NHS budget. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One in four people will suffer from mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your doctor or your local health center or a mental health team in your area. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the patients who require their services. You may receive individual or group therapy depending on the kind of help you require.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out the form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to try and contact your usual team first unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. this hyperlink will increase the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to them in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce 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 improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat minor conditions, but more severe illnesses will require an expert team. These teams work across community and primary mental health services, and mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular kinds of treatment. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their 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.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be performed online. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is an individual choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. The site contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care but it's still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are typically located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It also offers more secure and efficient methods of treating people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to do.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need are able to access assistance. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% of these will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions regardless of whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They can offer a range of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they think could be able to assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will contact the GP and explain their reasons. They might request the GP to alter the referral or request more details.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However mental health assessment near me offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who require to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with an therapist to help a person overcome a problem or improve their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer can tick to indicate if the request is urgent.