Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering 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 special suicide prevention services.
Get assistance
One in four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover after a while. It is essential to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from your physician or the local health center or mental health team in your community. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Based 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 doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also talk to you about what kind of help you require. Then, you will be viewed by someone from a mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already supported by mental health services it's a good idea to call your usual team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make emergency services available by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health issues. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more severe conditions require an expert team. These teams work in community and primary health services for mental health, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously known as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A wide variety 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 via remote access. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is an individual choice. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They typically are located in a specific region however, they can also be contracted to provide national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve these services by delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there are positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are experiencing 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 these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure 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 these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also enhance community services, including talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, quicker.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer 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 a variety of local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and activities can be included. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.
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 down or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They may request the GP to alter the referral or request more details.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However assess mental health provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP may refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with a therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. private mental health assessment ireland has a checkbox that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.