Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One of four of us will have mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will recover with time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your doctor, your local health center or mental health team in your local area. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. Based on the kind of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will typically ask you to fill in the form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk with you about the type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In mental health assessments for adults , a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you are already receiving mental health services It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it's out of hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
mental health assesment for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are linked to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and provide support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that people experiencing a mental crisis are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more serious conditions require a specialist team. These teams operate in community and primary mental healthcare services as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also help ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and courses. The site is full of reliable information but you should be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the mental health system, but it is 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 services. They typically are located in a specific area however, they may be commissioned to offer national services.
The main issue is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also provides more efficient and safer ways to help people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is more to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who require these services. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give thousands of more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or provide advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They offer a variety of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they think can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine 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 to provide more information or to alter the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are an excellent option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the issues is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires the referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick if they feel the referral is urgent.