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 boost investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One out of four people will be affected by a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to seek help, and most people recover over time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your physician or the local health center or mental health service in your community. These teams consist of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with clients who seek their services. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also speak to you about what kind of help you require. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances the assessment and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea 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 establish multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These teams 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 help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe disorders, but more serious issues will require an expert team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services and also mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them in 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. There are also a lot of charities that provide classes and support groups, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the mental health system, but it struggles to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are usually located in a specific region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also offers more secure and efficient methods to treat people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been taken down. But there is more to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service, both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems are seen faster by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.
click here for more 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, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can offer a range of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They might also ask the GP to change the referral or request additional 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 health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment service 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 GP can also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local health care organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with therapist in order to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick if the referral is urgent.