Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and many of us will recover over time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your GP or your local health center, or a mental health team in your community. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. Based on the kind of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically request you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of the mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're in a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you are already receiving mental health support, it is best to call your usual team first, unless outside of hours, or on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to those within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make emergency services available by decreasing wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from a mental health crisis are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs are often able to treat milder disorders, but more serious issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams work in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a safe space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main treatments. Previously known as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
There are a variety of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. There are a variety of charities which offer support groups and classes, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth of reliable information, but be aware that there are numerous false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific area however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also provides more efficient and safer methods of treating people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Helping you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. However, there is still much to be done.
People experiencing mental health issues require the ability to get the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve services for people who require them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are common or severe. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with a mental health issue. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide information and advice on how to manage your mental health concerns.
In addition to that, there are a lot of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can provide support in various forms such as online and through local groups. They can offer a range of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think could be able to assist. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain the reasons. They might also ask the GP to change the referral or ask for more information.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). lowest price mental health assesment are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapist in order to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
One of the challenges faced by a CMT is ensuring that all referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who aren't in a crisis.
To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved through an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.