Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Need 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 ways to get help, and many of us will improve over time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your doctor or your local health center, or a mental health team in your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with people who use their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also speak to you about the kind of help you need. You will be seen by members of a mental team which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in a crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's best to call your usual team first unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis 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 allowing 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 people suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious conditions require specialists. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek help when you're in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main types of treatment. Previously known as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also an important element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
A wide range of talking therapy treatments are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other are available remotely. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's a lot of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They are usually located in a specific region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with 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 issues require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need them. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems are seen faster by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or offer advice and guidance about how to handle your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's 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. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people 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 GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can aid. They can send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will review the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain why. They might also ask the GP to change the referral or request additional information.
The referral 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 pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
mental health capacity assessment Iam Psychiatry can refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't need inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.
CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through an established form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer can tick if the request is urgent.