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 has made the commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One out of four people will be affected by a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will recover over time. It is essential to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can get help from your GP or the local health center or a mental health team within your community. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Based on the kind of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in an application form to refer you to a community mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some cases, your assessment and treatment will be performed by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. 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 the normal hours, a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are linked to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also provide support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis 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 are usually able to treat less severe conditions, but more severe issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services as well as the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help when you're in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen referrals increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different part 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 prescribe the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. mental health check of these treatments are delivered in-person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is plenty of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific area however they can also be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. But there's still a lot to do.
People who are in a mental crisis need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also enhance community services, including talking therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They offer an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and activities can be included. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who feel down or stressed. There is also mental health screening counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can provide support in various forms that include online and through local groups. They offer a variety of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult choices about which 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 can assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. mental health screening can also request the GP to provide more information or to modify the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP may also decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome an issue or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to check if they feel the referral is urgent.