Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to get help and most of us recover with time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of places like your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with the people who utilize the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you need.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline when you're in a crisis. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's best to contact your regular 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 mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care provided to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also include an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more serious conditions require specialists. These teams are located in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. 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 types 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 drugs are a different part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in-person, while others can be performed remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and courses. The website contains a wealth of reliable information, but be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health services, it still struggles to keep up with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a specific area however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods of treating people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been smashed down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues must be able to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the services available to those who need them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health conditions can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health issues.
There are a variety of local organizations that provide support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. Many of these organizations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They can also offer various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referring More to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult decisions about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. full mental health assessment will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they believe could be able to assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a great option for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.