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 has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Need help?
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and many of us will improve with time. It is essential to know what assistance is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek help from your GP, your local health center or mental health team within your community. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. You may receive individual or group therapy based on the type of help you need.
Your GP will typically ask you to fill in the form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in a crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a 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 teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to them within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services more accessible by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs are usually able to treat less severe illnesses, however more serious conditions will require an expert team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services, as well as mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a crucial element 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 suggest the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be done online. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet the demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are usually located in a specific area however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been broken down. But there is still more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems need to be able to access the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need can get assistance. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100% coverage.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be treated by trained therapists quicker.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those with mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they think could be able to assist. They can send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
mental health check may decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by a large hospital or local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs are faced with the task 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 cause patients who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved through a standardised form which asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.