Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your physician or your local health center or a mental health service in your area. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with people who use their services. Based on the kind of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also speak to you about the kind of help you require. You will then be examined by a member of a mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you are already receiving support for your mental health It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it's out of office hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care that is provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make emergency services available by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from mental health issues are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services and also mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital element of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, but others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there's lots of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing mental health care but it's struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They are usually located in a specific area however, they may be commissioned to offer national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there are positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are experiencing a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. We will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions regardless of 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 therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. mental health assessments for adults are run by trained volunteers. They offer a safe space to talk or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They also provide various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think will be able to help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then evaluate the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain the reasons. They may also ask the GP for more information or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient 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 can refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically operated by a large local health organization or hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the biggest challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all suitable referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what is an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using an established referral form that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check when the request is urgent.