Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to seek help, and most of us will improve with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your physician or the 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 work together with the people who utilize the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you need.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out a form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also speak to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be consulted by members of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you already receive mental health services It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it is out of office hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer assistance within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It also proposes a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is 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 variety of treatment options for mental health issues. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services, and the 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 common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.
online mental health assessment are a different aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others can be done via remote access. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and courses. The site is full of information that is reliable, but be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the mental health system, but it's struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They typically are located in a specific area, but can be contracted to provide national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns about the quality and shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It also provides more efficient and safer ways to help people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there are positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been broken down. But there is still more to be done.
People experiencing mental health issues require the ability to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve the quality of services for those who need them. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70% of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. These include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups to those who would prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling low or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in 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 have to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to alter the referral.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either a preliminary 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 doctor may refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local healthcare organisation or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who want to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist works with the counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all appropriate referrals are made within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form which asks the referrer to indicate if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check when they believe the referral is urgent.