Mental Health Services on the NHS

There has been a massive increase 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 more quickly than overall NHS budget. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.

Helping yourself

One out of four of us will experience mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can provide it.

You can get help from your physician or the local health center or a mental health service in your area. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with the people who use their services. Based on the type of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.

Your doctor will typically request you to fill out an application form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk with you about the kind of assistance you require. Then, you will be viewed by a member of a mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in an emergency. If you already receive mental health support It is recommended to contact your regular 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 establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and offer support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.

The plan aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more severe conditions require specialists. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services as well as mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space when you are in a crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced 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 element of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.

A wide range of talking therapy treatments are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in person, while others can be done via remote access. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. The site contains a wealth of information that is reliable, but be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet concerning mental health issues.

The NHS is improving mental health assessment health care but it is struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.

A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve these services by delivering more training and developing new ways of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to be done.

Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis must be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require them. 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% of these will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.

We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists quicker.

The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They offer the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to tackle your Mental Health Assessments For Adults health issues.

There are also a number local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer it.

For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.

Referring someone to you

With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think could be able to assist. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They could also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more information.

The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.

A GP might decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local health organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.

CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. One of the issues is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check to indicate if the referral is urgent.