Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One in four people will be affected by a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover with time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places such as your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who work with those who utilize the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea call your usual team first, unless it's outside of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care given to those experiencing an illness of mental health and provide support in their homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder conditions, but more severe issues will require a specialist team. These teams operate in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe spaces where you can get help for those who are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main kinds of treatment. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase every year since they were launched 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 part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. best private mental health hospitals uk can also help lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other can be done online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of many charities that offer support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you must be aware of the fact that there's lots of misleading or false information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They are usually located in a particular region however, they may be commissioned to offer national services.
The shortage of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve these services by offering more training and developing new ways of working. It also provides more secure and efficient methods to treat people who are in crisis. what is mental health assessment include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who need these services. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health conditions can be seen quicker by qualified therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to 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 a safe place to talk or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health issues.
There are also local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They can also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult choices about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they think will be able to help. They may send a referral 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 happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They could also ask the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all types 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 extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. One of the challenges is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.