Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One in four people will be affected by mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and many of us will improve with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places, including your GP (primary care medical doctor) or your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with the people who utilize the service. Based on More inspiring ideas of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically request you to fill out an application form so that they can make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. Then, you will be viewed by a member of a mental health team, which may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you are already receiving support for your mental health, it is best to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of hours, or on a weekend, or 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 teams will enhance the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to patients in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require specialists. These teams operate in community and primary health services for mental health and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main treatments. Formerly known as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase every 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.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available, 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 to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is trustworthy, but be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health services however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They typically are located in a specific region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
The main issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns about the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve services for people who need these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health conditions can be seen quicker by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to manage your mental health issues.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are struggling or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They also provide various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they think will be able to help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals send patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A doctor may decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). Suggested Reading are usually operated by a large local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but don't need inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is how to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines 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 referral is urgent.