Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous 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 invest more in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One out of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to get help and most of us recover over time. It's important to understand what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your physician or your local health center or mental health team within your area. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Based on the type of assistance you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. You will be consulted by members of the mental team, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be performed by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you already receive support for your mental health, it is best to call your usual team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is given to those suffering from a mental health crisis and offer assistance within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce 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 those suffering from an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor conditions, but more severe issues will require an expert team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services, as well as the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also help ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and classes, such as Mind. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They typically are located in a particular region however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over the quality of care and there is a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It also provides more efficient and safer ways to help those who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been broken down. But there's still a lot to do.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need can get help. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also increase community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions regardless of whether they are serious 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 offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They offer the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health issues.
There are also local organisations that can provide help and advice to those who suffer from 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.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they believe can assist. They can send a referral 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 doesn't like the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more information.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). what is a mental health assessment are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form which asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick if they feel the referral is urgent.