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 will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from your doctor or your local health center, or a mental health service in your area. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. Based on the type of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some instances, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you already receive mental health support it is recommended to contact your regular team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care provided to those in crisis, and offer support to them within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by cutting down wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way that people who are having mental health issues are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat milder conditions, but more severe conditions will require a specialist team. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services and also the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can improve symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's the choice of the patient. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of reliable information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's lots of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They usually are located in a specific area however they can also 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 trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. But there's still a lot to do.
People who are suffering from mental health issues require the ability to access the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need can get them. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. 70% of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are serious or common. 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 free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They offer a safe space to talk, or offer advice and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.
best private mental health hospitals uk offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referrals
Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will review the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain why. They can also request the GP for more details or to change the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are an excellent option for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. Many 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 standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.