Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and many of us will improve over time. However, it is important to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources such as your GP (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you require.
You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask you what type of assistance you require. You will be seen by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in a crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's best to try and contact 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 outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and offer assistance within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more serious conditions require specialists. These teams are located in both community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe places where you can seek help if you are feeling in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of 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 every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care, it still struggles to keep up with demand. In mental health assessment online there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding from the clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific area however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. But there is still more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues need to be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services so that people in need can get assistance. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of these will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health issues can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel low or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both online and in local groups. They also provide various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people suffering from mental health problems.
Referrals
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about 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 will be able assist. They might send a referral 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 satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They might request the GP to change the referral or request more information.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local healthcare organization. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
One of the challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. how to get a mental health assessment uk can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been accomplished by using a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe the referral is urgent.