The Ultimate Guide To Mental Health Services NHS
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 reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover with time. It is essential to know what help is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places such as your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require you could receive 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 professional in the community. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by members of a mental team which includes psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a nurse specialist. If you're experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you already receive mental health support, it is best to call your usual team first, unless it is out of hours, on 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 that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the care provided to those in crisis, and offer support to them in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious issues will require an expert team. These teams work in both community and primary healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of 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 commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a crucial part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
There are many kinds of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in-person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. The site is full of reliable information however, be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They are typically located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.
agree with this of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also offers more secure and efficient methods to treat those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is much to do.
People who are suffering from a mental health crisis need to be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services so that people in need receive help. By 2020/21, we will make sure 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 core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health issues are seen faster by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide information and advice on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also local organizations that provide support and guidance to people who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and activities can be included. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person 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 is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support, both online and in local groups. They also offer a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for those living with mental health problems.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also ask the GP for more details or to change the referral.
agree with this to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may also decide to refer a patient to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for those who have to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist works with the therapist to help a person overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. One of the challenges is that many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved by using a standardised form which asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.