20 Things You Need To Know About Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health problems by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek help and most of us recover over time. However, it is important to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of places, including your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with patients who require their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your doctor will typically ask you to fill in a form so that they can send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea contact your regular team first, unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to patients in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make emergency services available by cutting down wait times and allowing more beds. It would also include an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor conditions, but more severe issues will require a specialist team. These teams are spread across primary and community mental health services, and also mental health hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space when you are in a crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are one of the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. There are a variety of charities that offer support groups and classes, such as Mind. The site is full of information that is trustworthy but you should be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care, it still struggles to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a particular region, but can be contracted to provide national services.
A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and safe places.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. But there is much more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues must be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those who need them can get them. By 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 these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also expand services for people who require them in the community, such as talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people can be treated by trained therapists quicker.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. private mental health assessment are run entirely by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or offer advice and guidance on how to manage your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this option.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able to aid. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They can also request the GP for more information or to alter the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. 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 a psychiatrist works with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.
One of the challenges faced by a CMT is ensuring that all suitable referrals are made 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 a crisis.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick when the request is urgent.