Mental Health Services on the NHS

There has been a huge increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include specialized work in suicide prevention.

Need help?

One of four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and many of us will be able to recover with time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available, and who can provide it.

You can get help from your GP, your local health center or a mental health team in your local area. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with those who utilize the service. Based on the kind of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.

You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you what type of assistance you require. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's a good idea to contact your regular team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to patients in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aimed at provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles and online mental health assessments make sure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that people who are having a mental health crisis are supported in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more severe conditions require an expert team. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services and also mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance if you are feeling in a state of crisis.

Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously known as IAPT, these programs have seen referrals increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medicines are also a vital part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medicine for you.

There are a variety of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. There are a variety of charities that offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. The website contains a wealth of reliable information, but be aware that there are numerous false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet regarding mental health issues.

The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their service. They typically are located in a specific area, but can be commissioned to deliver national services.

The main issue is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It also introduces safer and more effective methods to treat people in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is still much to be done.

People who are suffering from mental health issues should receive the help 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 make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health assessment cost-health liaison service, both in A&E as well as on wards for patients, and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100% coverage.

We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions regardless of whether they are common or severe. 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 provides confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide the opportunity to talk in a secure environment or offer advice and guidance about how to get a private mental health assessment to handle your mental health issues.

In addition, there are a number of local organisations which can offer support and guidance for people with mental health problems. These include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups for those who prefer it.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both Online Mental Health Assessments and in local groups. They can also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for those living with mental health problems.

Referring someone to you

With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe can aid. They can refer a patient either 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 will call the GP and explain their reasons. They may also request the GP for more details or to alter the referral.

The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.

A GP can also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life.

One of the challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all suitable referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check if they feel that the referral is urgent.