Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself
One in four of us will experience mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety places, including your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. Based on the type of help you require you might be provided with 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 professional in the community. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a nurse specialist. If you are experiencing crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a 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 improve the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more serious conditions require a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help for those who are in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main types of treatment. 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 has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can improve symptoms through changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
There are many kinds of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, while others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website is full of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific region, but can be commissioned to provide national services.
The main issue is the lack of resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need are able to access assistance. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100% coverage.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or provide advice and information about how to handle your mental health issues.
Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling low or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They can also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they think will be able to help. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If find more info isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They could also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more details.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP might 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 organisation. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program where a psychiatrist works with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to tick if they feel the referral is urgent.
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