Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist suicide prevention work.
Get assistance
One of four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is there are many ways to get assistance, and the majority of us will recover over time. It is important to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places like your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with the people who utilize the service. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the kind of help you require.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also speak to you about the type of help you need. You will then be seen by a member of a mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In mental health checkup will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to contact your regular team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and offer support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also include an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe disorders, but more serious illnesses will require an expert team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services and the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance for those who are in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase each year since they introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also an important part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others are available via a remote device. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there's a lot of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it's struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are usually located in a specific area however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health problems need to be able to get the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services so that people in need can get help. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100% coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health issues are seen faster by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk, or offer information and advice on how to manage your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations also 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 experiencing stress or depression. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or information about 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 also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they believe could be able to assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They may also ask the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for those who want to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with a counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using an established referral form that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check to indicate if the referral is urgent.