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 has made the commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.

Get help

One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover with time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it.

You can seek assistance from your GP or your local health center or a mental health team in your community. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with the people who utilize the service. Based on the type of help you need you could receive individual or group therapy.

You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will be assessed by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances the assessment and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's best to contact your regular team first unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are linked to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and provide support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.

The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that people who are having an illness of mental health are assisted in emergencies.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health assessment Report health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat minor disorders, but more serious illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek assistance when you're in crisis.

Talking therapies are among the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.

There are a variety of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group 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 the choice of the patient. There are a variety of charities which offer support groups and classes, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth of reliable information, but be aware that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet regarding mental health issues.

While the NHS is advancing its mental health services, it still struggles to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They usually are located in a specific area however they can also be contracted to provide national services.

The shortage of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to help people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. But there is much more to be done.

People experiencing mental health issues require the ability to access the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need are able to access help. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21, and that 70% of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.

We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. 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, Mental Health Assessment Report faster.

The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or offer advice and guidance on how to manage your mental health concerns.

There are a variety of local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations 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 struggling or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in various forms that include online and through local groups. They also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people suffering from mental health problems.

Referrals

Mental health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult choices regarding the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able to aid. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.

A full mental health assessment online health professional will then assess the referral and mental health assessment report decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP for more information or to modify the referral.

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 an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A GP may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't need inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.

CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To address this issue some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer has to check to indicate if the referral is urgent.