Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking treatment 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 the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One out of four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and most of us will improve with time. But it's important to know what assistance is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with people who use the service. Based on the type of help you need you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so 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 like a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you are experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's best to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to patients in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health issues. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs and more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams are located in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular types of treatment. Previously known as IAPT, these programs have seen referrals increase each year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a number of charities which offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there is lots of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it's struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They usually are located in a particular region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods of treating people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need can get help. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, quicker.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide information and advice on how to tackle your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
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 look at the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll call the GP and explain the reasons. They could also ask the GP to modify the referral or ask for more information.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). what is mental health assessment are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for those who have to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't 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 biggest challenges that CMTs CMT is to ensure that all referrals are assigned within the appropriate timeframe. One of the challenges is that many referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.