Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One out of four of us will have mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from your GP, your local health center or mental health team in your area. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Based on the type of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually request you to fill out an application form so that they can send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you are already receiving mental health services It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are usually able to treat minor conditions, but more severe issues will require an expert team. These teams work in primary and community mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular types of treatment. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase every year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also help reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there is lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They typically are located in a specific area, but they can be contracted to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. how can i get a mental health assessment , there is much to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those who need them are able to access assistance. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people with mental health conditions can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from 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 tackle your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that provide assistance and support to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They also provide many classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult choices about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they think could be able to assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP for more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to a 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 patients to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP might also decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local health organization or hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with the counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
One of the major challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all referrals are made within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using an established referral form that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to check in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.