Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One out of four of us will have mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek help and most of us recover after a while. But it's important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of places such as your GP (primary care medical doctor) 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. Depending on the type of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in a form to make 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 a member of the mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in crisis. If you are already receiving support for your mental health It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to them in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help when you're in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase every 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 drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
There are a variety of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be done online. 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 has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there is lots of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care, it still struggles to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They typically are located in a particular region, but they can be commissioned to offer national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams and secure places.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is still much to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems require the ability to access the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them receive them. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also increase services for the community, such as talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups for those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. how to get mental health assessment offer a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they believe will be able to help. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. They may request the GP to modify the referral or request more information.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local health organization or hospital. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist but don't need inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with the therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished by using an established referral form that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick when the referral is urgent.