Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental healthcare services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four people will suffer from mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and many of us will be able to recover with time. However, it is important to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of help you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also talk with you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be assessed by a member of the mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea 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 outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis and offer support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having a mental health crisis are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams are located in both community and primary healthcare facilities as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in crisis.
Talking check these guys out are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others can be delivered via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it's an individual choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you should be aware that there is plenty of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They usually are located in a particular region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by offering more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. However, there is much to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services so that people in need receive assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people with common or severe mental health conditions the support they need. 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 therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in a variety of ways such as online and through local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they believe could be able to assist. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They may also request the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a 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 assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who require to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming any crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in a crisis.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick when they believe the referral is urgent.