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 has made the commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One of four of us will have a mental health problem at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover with time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your GP or your local health center, or a mental health service in your community. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. You may receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out a form so that they can make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also talk to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of a mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in crisis. If you are already receiving support for your mental health, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. mental health checkup will enhance the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to patients in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also include 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 improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more serious conditions require a specialist team. These teams are located in both community and primary mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main kinds of treatment. Formerly known as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
There are many different types of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. There are a variety of charities that provide support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific region however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns about the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are in mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve the quality of services for those who require them. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work 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 conditions, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that provide assistance and support to those suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups which can be helpful for people suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They can 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 doesn't like the referral, they will call the GP and explain the reasons. They can also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A doctor may also decide to refer a patient to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the challenges that CMTs CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.