Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help, and most people recover over time. It is essential to know what assistance is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places such as your GP (primary care medical doctor) or your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out a form so that they can send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk with you about what kind of help you require. You will then be examined by a member of a mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In certain instances a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea contact your regular team first, unless it's outside of the normal hours, a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are linked to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of the care provided to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat minor conditions, but more severe issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services and also psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help for those who are in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular kinds of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can improve symptoms through changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in-person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there's lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health services however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific area however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. 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 delivering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve the services available to those who require them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E as well as on wards for patients, and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health problems can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. mental illness assessment include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide guidance and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
In addition there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. A lot of these organizations provide support groups in person for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They can provide a variety of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under strain and GPs must make difficult choices regarding which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can help. They can send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their life quality.
One of the major challenges faced by a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are made within the proper time frame. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick when the request is urgent.