Mental Health Services on the NHS

There has been an enormous increase in people seeking treatment 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 healthcare services faster than the overall NHS budget. This will include special suicide prevention services.

Get assistance

One out of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to seek assistance, and the majority of us will recover with time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can provide it.

You can seek help from a variety of sources like 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 nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with the clients who seek their services. Based on the type of help you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.

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 with you about what kind of help you require. You will then be seen by a member of a mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in an emergency. If you already receive mental health support, it is best to call your usual team first, unless outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also 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 would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder conditions, but more severe illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space when you are in a crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main types of treatment. Previously known as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their introduction 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 medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can improve symptoms through altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.

There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is an individual choice. There are also a lot of charities which offer classes and support groups like Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is reliable however, be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading claims on the internet about mental health issues.

The NHS is advancing the quality of mental health care, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They are typically located in a specific area however, they can also be commissioned to provide national services.

The absence of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.

Helping you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. But there is much more to be done.

People experiencing mental health problems require the ability to access the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them can get help. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a Mental Health Online Assessment health liaison in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will meet the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.

We will also enhance community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions, whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.

The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They offer a safe space to talk or give information and advice on how to deal with your mental health issues.

There are also a number local organizations that provide assistance and Mental Health Online assessment support to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who would prefer it.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are struggling or stressed. 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 are a excellent source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They also provide various classes and activities, from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.

Referrals

With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will look at the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe will be able aid. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health professional 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 and explain why. They may also ask the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.

Referrals to a local Community mental health assessment Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every type of mental health referral.

A GP might decide to refer a patient to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a good choice for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming an issue or improve the quality of their lives.

CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.

To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer if the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.