Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One out of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will be able to recover with time. It's important to understand what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) or your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. Based on the kind of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out a form so that they can make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will then be seen 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. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you are already receiving mental health support It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of hours, or on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care provided to those suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams work in primary and community mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT, these programs have seen referrals increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering how chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others can be done online. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and courses. The site is full of reliable information but you should be aware that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific area however, they can also more info be commissioned to deliver national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have read more gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues need to be able to get the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both 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 expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organisations that can provide help and advice to those with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They can also offer various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which more info may be useful for people who website suffer from mental health problems.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think will be able to help. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then evaluate the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP for more details or to alter the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. One of the challenges is that many referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can result in website delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent standards for what is an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.