Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One out of four of us will experience a mental health problem at some time in our lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your GP, your local health center or mental health service in your area. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you need.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out the form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you already receive support for your mental health, it is best to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of hours, or 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 that are connected to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer assistance within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having mental health issues are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require specialists. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
There are many kinds of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be performed online. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. There are a variety of charities which offer support groups and classes like Mind. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there's plenty of misleading or false information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing mental health care but it's struggling to meet demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are typically located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.
The shortage of resources is a major problem. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces safer and more effective methods of treating people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those in need can get them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health issues, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen quicker by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.
There are also private mental health diagnosis uk that can offer support and guidance to people who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are available. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups for those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also provide a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for those living with mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they think can assist. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They could also ask the GP to modify the referral or ask for more information.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system cannot be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A doctor may decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. One of the problems is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick when they believe the referral is urgent.