Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental healthcare services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is there are many ways to get assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary care medical doctor) or your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you need.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also talk to you about what kind of help you require. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you already receive mental health services It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it's out of office hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and offer support to them in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious disorders require a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services, and also the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main types of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can be used to reduce the side 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 are delivered in person, whereas others are available online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is trustworthy, but be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading claims on the internet concerning mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it is struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are usually located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to offer national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe 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 issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being broken down. But there is still more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who need 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 core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are private ptsd assessment uk of local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this option.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they believe will be able to help. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reasons. They can also request the GP for more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system cannot be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP may decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local health 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 offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with a therapist to help a person overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the problems is that many referrals are considered urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick if the request is urgent.