Mental Health Services on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues 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 specialist suicide prevention work.

Get help

One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get assistance, and the majority of us will recover with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.

You can seek assistance from your GP, your local health center or a mental health assessment private health team in your community. These teams are comprised of nurses, mental health assessment online occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. You can receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you need.

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 you what you require in terms of support. Then, you will be viewed by a member of the mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be performed by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in crisis. If you already receive support for your mental health it is recommended to call your usual team first, unless outside of hours, or on 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. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to them within their communities and at home instead of in hospitals.

The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams work in both community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure space if you feel in crisis.

Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are one of the main kinds of treatment. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen referrals increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.

There are many kinds of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other are available via remote access. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website is full of reliable 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 advancing the mental health system, 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 typically are located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.

The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and introducing new ways of working. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. But there is much more to be done.

People who are in mental illness need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those in need can get assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients 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 extend services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health Assessment online health conditions the support they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.

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 operated entirely by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.

Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organizations that provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.

For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, from mindfulness to art groups which can be helpful for those living with mental health issues.

Making a referral

With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they believe can assist. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent service.

A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll call the GP and explain the reasons. They can also request the GP for more information or to change the referral.

Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.

A doctor may also refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.

One of the major challenges that a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are made within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.

To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of an established referral form that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick if the referral is urgent.