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 boost investment in mental health services faster than the overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.

Get help

One of four people will be affected by a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. It is essential to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.

You can seek help from your physician or your local health center or a mental health service in your community. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. You can receive individual or group therapy, based on the kind of help you need.

Your GP will typically request you to fill out an application form so that they can send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also talk to you about the kind of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in an emergency. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of core hours, the 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 linked to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care given to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also provide support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services and the psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help if you are feeling in a crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.

There are many kinds of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, whereas others can be done online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware of the fact that there's plenty of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.

While the NHS is improving its mental health services however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They usually are located in a particular region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.

The absence of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to assist people in need including mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been broken down. But there's still a lot to be done.

People experiencing mental health issues must be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve the services available to those who require them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100 percent coverage.

We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, which includes psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, faster.

The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who offer the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or offer advice and guidance about how to handle your mental health issues.

There are a variety of local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who would prefer this type of support.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both online and in local groups. They can also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.

Referrals

With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think can assist. They can send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They may request the GP to change the referral or ask for more information.

Referrals to 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 for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health assessments health referral.

A doctor may also refer patients to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist, Consult but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.

CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. One of the issues is that a large number of referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.

To combat this problem, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved through an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box that the referrer can tick if they feel the referral is urgent.