Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive 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 more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to seek help, and most people recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with the clients who seek their services. You can get individual or group therapy based on the kind 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 service in the community. They will also speak to you about the kind of assistance you require. You will be assessed by members of the mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you already receive mental health services It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals 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 experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also provide support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. how to get mental health assessment would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted 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 offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder disorders, but more serious conditions will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services and also the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different part of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
There are a variety of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, whereas others are available remotely. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are a variety of charities that offer classes and support groups like Mind. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet the demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They are typically located in a specific area, but can be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns over the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is much to do.
People experiencing a mental health crisis must be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require these services. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for people who require them in the community, such as psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen quicker by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
There are also local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and provide support in various forms that include online and through local groups. They can also offer various classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they believe will be able to help. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They could also ask the GP to alter the referral or ask for more information.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs as well as other health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may decide to refer a patient to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved by using a standardised form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.