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 offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One of four people will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek help and most of us recover with time. But it's important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your GP or your local health center, or a mental health team in your local area. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with those who utilize the service. Depending on the type of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in a form to send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will then be examined by someone from a mental health team, which may include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some instances the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you are already receiving mental health services it is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it is out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected 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 provide support to patients in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs however more severe conditions require a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services, and mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be done via remote access. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and classes. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it's struggling to meet demand. There are click the following page across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They typically are located in a particular region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe places.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues require the ability to access the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them receive assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health issues regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health conditions are seen faster by trained therapists.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organizations that offer support and guidance for people with mental health problems. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this option.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe will be able to assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They may request the GP to change the referral or request additional information.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick if the request is urgent.