Why We Why We Mental Health Services NHS (And You Should, Too!)
Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. private mental health clinics will include special suicide prevention services.
Get help
One in four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover after a while. However, it is important to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources like 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 nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can receive individual or group therapy based on the type of help you require.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also speak to you about what kind of help you require. You will be consulted by a member of the mental team, such as psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's best to 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 mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to those in their homes and community instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make emergency services available by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with 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 conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe conditions, but more severe conditions will require a specialist team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services, and mental health hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other are available remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's an individual choice. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. Their website is full of information that is reliable, however you must be aware of the fact that there's lots of misleading or false information available 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. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are usually located in a particular region however, they can also be contracted to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer ways to help people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. But there is still more to be done.
People who are in mental health issues should get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who require them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service both in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT), so that more people with mental health issues can be seen more quickly by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health issues.
There are also local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organizations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face 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 depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for those living with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able to assist. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. They may also request the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer 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 specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist will work with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.