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 has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Get help
One in four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover over time. 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 doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the patients who require their services. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk with you about the type of assistance you require. You will be consulted by an individual from a mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you already receive mental health support It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it is out of hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based 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 patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services, as well as mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase every 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 medicines are also a vital element of treatment. how to get a mental health assessment uk can alleviate symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of them are offered in person, whereas others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's an individual choice. There are a variety of charities that offer classes and support groups like Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's lots of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve mental health care but it's struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They are typically located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The shortage of resources is a major problem. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by providing more training and introducing new ways of working. It also provides more secure and efficient methods of treating those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. But there is more to be done.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should get the help they need quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who require these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand services for people who require them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists quicker.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.
In addition, there are a number of local organizations that can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies 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 who are feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They can also request the GP to provide more information or to modify the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP may decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically operated by a large local healthcare organisation or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with a counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick if the request is urgent.