Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing 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 will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
mental health checkup out of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek help, and most people recover over time. But it's important to know what assistance is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor who treats patients) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with those who utilize the service. Based on the kind of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually require you to fill out a form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what kind of support you need. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be performed by a nurse specialist. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in crisis. If you already receive support for your mental health it is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it's out of office hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services, as well as the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help for those who are in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main treatments. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a vital component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. The site contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy but you should be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care, it still struggles to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are usually located in a specific region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns about the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure places.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. But there's still a lot to be done.
Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis require the ability to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve services for people who require them. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also enhance community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems, whether they are common or severe. 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 free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide a safe space to talk or provide information and advice on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
In addition there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in various forms such as online and through local groups. They can also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They might request the GP to change the referral or request additional information.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may also decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local health organization or hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer can tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.