Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Get help
One in four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help and most of us recover after a while. It's important to understand what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your doctor or the local health center, or a mental health team within your area. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use 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 service in the community. They will also talk with you about the kind of assistance you require. You will be seen by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you are 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 outside of hours, or 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 teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make emergency services available by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder conditions, but more severe illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services and also mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase every year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also an important element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others are available online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. There are also a lot of charities which offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services but it's still struggling to keep up with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care and there is a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to do.
People who are suffering from mental health issues need to be able to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who require them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for the community, such as talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
The NHS provides confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
Additionally, there are a number of local organisations which can offer support and guidance for those with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who would prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They can provide a variety of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. private mental health assessment uk will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able to aid. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will review the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They could also ask the GP to alter the referral or ask for more details.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the biggest challenges faced by CMTs CMT is ensuring that all referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to check if they feel that the referral is urgent.