Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point during their lives. mental health assessments is there are many avenues to seek help, and many of us will be able to recover with time. It is important to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from your physician or your local health center, or a mental health team in your local area. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically request you to fill out an application form so that they can send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also talk to you about the type of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you are already receiving support for your mental health It is recommended to contact your regular team first, unless it's outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more severe conditions require specialists. mental health assessments operate in both community and primary healthcare facilities as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Formerly known as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
There are many different types of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's plenty of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health services however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific area however they can also be contracted to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient ways to help people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being taken down. But there's still go here to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health problems require the ability to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need these services. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, in order to provide assistance to 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 with mental health problems are seen faster by trained therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk or give information and advice on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They offer a variety of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they think will be able to help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They may also request the GP for more details or to alter the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. 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 refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who require to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead people 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 an established referral form that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.