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 investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. However, it is important to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from your doctor, your local health center or a mental health team within your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will be seen by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances the assessment and treatment will be performed by a nurse specialist. If you're in crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you're already being supported 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 set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams with links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care provided to those suffering from a mental health crisis and provide support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and opening 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 improve the way that people who are having a mental health crisis are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder disorders, but more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in community and primary health services for mental health and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also an important element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
There are a variety of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, while others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's an individual choice. There are also a lot of charities that provide classes and support groups like Mind. The site contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are usually located in a specific region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.
The shortage of resources is a major problem. There are concerns over the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also provides more secure and efficient methods to treat those who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve services for people who need these services. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also increase services for people who need them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people with mental health conditions can be seen quicker by trained therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
There are also local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling 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 excellent source of information and provide support in a variety of ways such as online and through local groups. They can also offer various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for those living with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they think will be able to help. private ptsd assessment uk can send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with a counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all appropriate referrals are made within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who are not in crisis.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check if the request is urgent.