Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
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 plenty of different options to seek help and most of us recover over time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places like your GP (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. Based on the type of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in the form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the type of assistance you require. Then, you will be viewed by a member of a mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. If you're experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already supported 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 included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care provided to those in crisis, and offer support to those in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having an illness of mental health are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe conditions, but more severe illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular kinds of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are offered, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in-person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. There are a variety of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. Their website contains a wealth of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it's struggling to meet demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are typically located in a specific area, but can be commissioned to deliver national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns over the quality of care and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been broken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are experiencing mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need are able to access assistance. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that provide support and guidance to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. assess mental health of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential 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 on the internet and in local groups. They offer a variety of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe can assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or request additional details.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the major challenges that a CMT is to ensure that all suitable referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to check if they feel the referral is urgent.