Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One of four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help, and most people recover after a while. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your doctor or the local health center, or a mental health team in your community. read the article are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you require.
Your GP will usually request you to fill out an application form to refer you to a local mental health team. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be seen by an individual from the mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in a crisis. If you are already receiving support for your mental health It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to patients in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require specialists. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services, as well as the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help for those who are in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can 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 recommend the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, while others are available via a remote device. 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 contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you must be aware of the fact that there's plenty of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it's struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They are usually located in a specific area, but they can be contracted to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is still more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them are able to access assistance. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health problems are seen faster by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to deal your mental health issues.
There are a variety of local organizations that provide help and advice to those with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will 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 aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more details.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either an initial 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 decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist collaborates with the counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
One of the challenges faced by a CMT is ensuring that all suitable referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. One of the issues is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent standards for what is an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.