11 Strategies To Completely Redesign Your 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 a renewed commitment to grow the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Getting help
One out of four people will be affected by a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek assistance, and the majority of us will recover over time. It is essential to know what help is available and who is able to provide it.
You can get help from your doctor, your local health center or mental health team within your area. These teams are comprised of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the kind of help you require.
Your GP will usually ask you to fill in an application form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the type of assistance you require. You will be consulted by a member of a mental team which includes psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're in an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's best to contact your regular team first unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of the care given to those suffering from a mental health crisis and provide support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that people who are having mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs are usually able to treat milder illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services and mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people can access them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are also a crucial part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. There are also a lot of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. The site contains a wealth of information that is reliable, but be aware that there are numerous false or misleading claims on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific area, but can be commissioned to deliver national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those in need receive them. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone 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 offer advice and information on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
There are also local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They can also ask the GP for more information or to alter the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). mental health assessment cost lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP might decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention program where psychiatrists work with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the challenges is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved by using a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.