Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Helping yourself
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve with time. It is crucial to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can get help from your GP or the local health center or mental health service in your local area. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually require you to fill out a form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by members of the mental team, such as psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in a crisis. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to them in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that people who are having a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious conditions will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams work in community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in a state of crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular treatments. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referrals increase each year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how chemicals in your brain work. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware that there are numerous false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health services however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a specific region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns about the quality and shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also offers safer and more effective methods of treating people in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been broken down. However, there is much to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those in need can get assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. 70% of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. We will work towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, which includes psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they require. link webpage will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, faster.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk, or offer guidance and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They can offer a range of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they think can assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
link webpage will review the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They can also ask the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A doctor may refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention program where psychiatrists work with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all appropriate referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. One of the problems is that many referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick to indicate if the request is urgent.