What Will Mental Health Services NHS Be Like In 100 Years?
Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a huge rise 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 invest more in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One in four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is there are a variety of ways to seek help, and most of us will be able to recover with time. However, it is important to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of places such as your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients) as well as your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Based on the kind of help you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
private ptsd assessment uk will usually request you to fill out an application form so that they can make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also speak to you about the type of help you need. You will be seen by an individual from a mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you already receive mental health services, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless it is out of hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of the care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis and offer support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by reducing 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 those suffering from mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious issues will require a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community health services for mental health as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main types of treatment. Previously known as IAPT These programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in person, while others can be performed online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. There are also a number of charities that offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's a lot of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care, it still struggles to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They are usually located in a particular region however they can also be commissioned to offer national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to treat those who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe space.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. But there is still more to do.
People who are suffering from mental health problems require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve services for people who require these services. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E as well as on wards for patients, and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 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 assistance they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organisations that can provide 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 support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also provide a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for those living with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They can also request the GP to provide more information or to alter the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer 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 is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP can also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with a therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. One of the problems is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished by using an established referral form that requires a referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.