Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise in people seeking help for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. mental health assessments online is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve with time. It is crucial to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.
You can get help from your doctor or the local health center or a mental health service in your community. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with those who utilize the service. Based on the kind of help you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask you to specify what you require in terms of support. You will be seen by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being assisted 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 on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care provided to those suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat milder illnesses, however more serious conditions will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services, and also mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase each 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 another crucial part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, but others are available online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of information that is trustworthy but you should be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care but it's still struggling to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific region, but can be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago there have been positive developments for those with mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been taken down. But there is much more to be done.
People experiencing mental health issues require the ability to get the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who require them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also enhance services for the community, such as talking therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to deal your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in a variety of ways such as 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.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The GP will look at the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able to assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also ask the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. mental health assessments online are a great alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists collaborate with therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the major challenges faced by a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even if they may not be. This can cause 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 was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick if the referral is urgent.