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 reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Get help
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek help, and many of us will improve with time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places, including your GP (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with the people who utilize the service. Based on the type of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will typically ask you to fill in a form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. Then, you will be viewed by someone from a mental health team, which may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of normal hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder conditions, but more severe issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services and also psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main kinds of treatment. These programs, previously referred to 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 committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others are available remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a number of charities which offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy, but be aware that there are numerous false or misleading claims on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are usually located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and there is a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It also provides more secure and efficient ways to help those 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 a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. But there is more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems must be able to get the help they need quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, including psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, quicker.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance about how to handle your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person 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 feeling depressed or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also provide many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will look at the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe will be able assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to 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 happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They could request the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.
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 and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. 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 a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist works with an therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
One of the biggest challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all referrals are allocated within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. what is a mental health assessment has been achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick if the request is urgent.