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 overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places like your GP (primary care medical doctor) 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 collaborate with those who utilize the service. Based on the type of help you need you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will be consulted by members of a mental team which includes psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their own homes and communities 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 proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams operate in both community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also an important element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
There are many different types of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others can be done online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. There are also a lot of charities that provide classes and support groups like Mind. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there is a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in more info the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They are usually located in a particular region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by here delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. The options click here for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems must be able to access the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who need these services. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, faster.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to deal your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling low or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult choices about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the medical history website of the patient and refer them to services mental health assessment they believe will be able assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will examine 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 why. They can also request the GP to provide more information or to alter the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A doctor may decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the issues is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick to indicate if the request is urgent.