Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One of four of us will have mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and most of us will recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources like your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with patients who require their services. Based on the type of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out an application form to refer you to a community mental health team. They will also talk with you about what kind of help you require. You will then be seen by someone from a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can call 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 out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat milder disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams operate in community and primary health services for mental health, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe places where you can seek help for those who are in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main kinds of treatment. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen the number of people who seek them 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 medications are also a vital part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.
There are best private mental health hospitals uk of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be delivered via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. There are a variety of charities that offer support groups and classes like Mind. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there is plenty of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care, it still struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They usually are located in a specific area, but they can be commissioned to offer national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns about 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 developing new ways of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are experiencing a mental crisis need to receive the help they require 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 no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
Additionally, there are a number of local organizations that can provide support and guidance to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details on other services. 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, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe can assist. They may send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will call the GP and explain the reasons. They could request the GP to modify the referral or request more details.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with an therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the issues is that many referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who are not in crisis.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.