Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four of us will experience mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help and most of us recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places like your doctor (primary medical doctor who treats patients) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. Based on the kind of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically ask you to fill in a form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also speak to you about the type of help you need. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you are already receiving mental health support It is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it is outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to them in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs however more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams work across community and primary mental health services, and also 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 anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be performed via remote access. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. There are a variety of charities which offer support groups and courses like Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is reliable but you should be aware that there are numerous false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They usually are located in a specific area however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve these services by delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. But there is still more to do.
People experiencing a mental health crisis require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those in need receive assistance. By 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 be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for people who need them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health issues can be seen more quickly by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to deal your mental health concerns.
In addition, there are a number of local organizations that provide assistance and support for those suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support both online and in local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and recommend 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 specialist will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain why. They may also ask the GP to modify the referral or ask for more information.
get more info 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 health professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However, not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP can also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist works with a therapist to help a person overcome a problem or improve their life quality.
One of the challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent even though they may not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This has been accomplished through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check when the referral is urgent.