Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One out of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and most of us will be able to recover with time. But mental health checkup to know what assistance is available, and who can offer it.
You can get help from your physician or your local health center, or a mental health team within your area. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with those who utilize the service. Based on the type of help you need you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also talk with you about the kind of help you need. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you're already supported by mental health services, it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the mental health services delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health issues. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require specialists. These teams work across primary and community mental health services as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most common types of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their numbers of clients increase every year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there is lots of misleading or false information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it's struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They are usually located in a particular region however they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over the quality of care and a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces safer and more effective methods of treating people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them can get them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand services for those who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT), so that more people with mental health conditions can be seen more quickly by trained therapists.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They offer the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide guidance and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are available. Many of these organizations also provide support groups in person for those who prefer this option.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those who feel down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both online and in local groups. They offer a variety of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Referrals
Mental health services are under strain and GPs must 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 will be able to help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will then review 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 why. They can also request the GP for more information or to alter the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention program where psychiatrists work with a psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the biggest challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. One of the problems is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in need.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick if they feel that the referral is urgent.