Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to seek help and most of us recover over time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek help from your physician or the local health center, or a mental health team in your local area. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. Depending on the type of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically request you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a community mental health team. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by an individual from the mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you already receive support for your mental health it is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it's out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care provided to those in crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health issues. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more severe conditions require a specialist team. These teams work across both community and primary mental health services as well as mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. helpful site , previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they were first 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.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.
There are helpful site of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a lot of charities which offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing 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 groups to deliver their services. They usually are located in a particular region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also offers safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are suffering from mental health problems require the ability to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who require these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also increase community services, including talking therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health issues can be seen more quickly by qualified therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. mental health assessments online and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or provide advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organizations that offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling low or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They can also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They could also ask the GP to change the referral or request more information.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP may also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick if the request is urgent.