10 Misconceptions Your Boss Shares Concerning Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Get assistance
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek help, and many of us will recover with time. But it's important to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety places such as your doctor (primary care medical doctor), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. Based on the kind of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
Your GP will typically request you to fill out an application form to refer you to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about what kind of help you require. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team that could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you already receive mental health services, it is best to contact your regular team first, unless it is outside of hours, or 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 which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health issues. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require a specialist team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services as well as 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 commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since their introduction 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 medications are also a crucial part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in-person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is the choice of the patient. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is a lot of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the mental health system, but it's struggling to meet 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 however, they may be contracted to provide national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe space.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are breaking down. But there's still a lot to do.
People experiencing a mental health crisis require the ability to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those who need them are able to access them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% of them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talking therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists quicker.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and activities can be included. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways such as online and through local groups. They can also offer a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they think could be able to assist. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then evaluate the referral and decide whether 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 can also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A doctor may also decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically operated by a large local healthcare organisation or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who have to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program where psychiatrists work with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their life.
One of the biggest challenges that CMTs CMT is to ensure that all suitable referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. Iampsychiatry was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.
