Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. mental health diagnostic assessment will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek help, and most people recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with the people who use their services. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in a form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the type of help you require. Then, you will be viewed by a member of a mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in a crisis. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's best to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of core hours, the weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create 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 offer support to patients in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make emergency services available by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. mental health diagnostic assessment are usually able to treat minor illnesses, however more serious issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services and mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
There are many different types of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be performed remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you should be aware of the fact that there's lots of misleading or false information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health services however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are typically located in a specific region however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by offering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe places.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 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 smashed down. But there's still a lot to be done.
People who are in a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services so that people in need are able to access them. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand services for people who need them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind 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 issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening, support and information from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can help. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will call the GP and explain their reasons. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more details.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A doctor may also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local health organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with a therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
One of the challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been accomplished through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.