Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources such as your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who work with the people who utilize the service. Based on the type of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically ask you to fill in a form to send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also speak to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's a good idea call your usual team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health problems. GPs are often able to treat milder illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking what is mental health assessment for depression and anxiety are among the main kinds of treatment. These programs, previously 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 set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and classes. The website contains a wealth of reliable information but you should be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the mental health system, but it's struggling 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 services. They usually are located in a specific area however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns about 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 working and offering more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People experiencing a mental health crisis must be able to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need receive assistance. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. 70% of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health issues can be seen more quickly by trained therapists.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organizations that offer support and guidance for people with mental health problems. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. Many of these organizations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those feeling depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can provide support in various forms that include online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they believe will be able to help. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also ask the GP for more details or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs as well as other health professionals to refer people to either a mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP may also decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with a counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the biggest challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead to over-working and delays for people who are not in crisis.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to check if they feel that the referral is urgent.