Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get assistance
One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources such as your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the kind of help you need.
You will be asked to complete a form with your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also talk to you about what kind of help you need. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in a crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea call your usual team first, unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams with links to primary care networks. mental health evaluation will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to those within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more serious conditions require specialists. These teams work in community and primary mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek help when you're in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they were launched 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 in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals work. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is an individual choice. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and classes like Mind. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there's lots of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it struggles to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a particular region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being taken down. But there is still more to do.
Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis need to be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who require them. By 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% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100% coverage.
We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health issues regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide a safe space to talk or give information and advice on how to deal with your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that provide help and advice to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They can also offer a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They could request the GP to alter the referral or request additional information.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals send patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A doctor may decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention program where psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. One of the issues is that a large number of referrals are deemed urgent, even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer can tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.