Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Get help
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get assistance, and the majority of us will recover over time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources, including your doctor (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with the people who use their services. You can receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you need.
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 ask you what you require in terms of support. You will be assessed by members of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances the assessment and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of the normal hours, a weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is given to those experiencing an illness of mental health and offer assistance in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more severe conditions require specialists. These teams operate in community and primary health services for mental health and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can get help if you are feeling in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main kinds of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them 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 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 effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others can be done online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. There are also a lot of charities which offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. The site contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy, but be aware that there are many false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.
The NHS is improving mental health care but it's struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They typically are located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and safe areas.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. But there is more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues need to be able to access the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those who need them receive help. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100% coverage.
initial mental health assessment will also increase services for people who require them in the community, including talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or offer advice and guidance on how to manage your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people with mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who would prefer it.
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 which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support, both online and in local groups. They can offer a range of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes, which are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can help. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain their reasons. They could also ask the GP to modify the referral or request more information.
Requests for a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary assessment 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 types of mental health referrals.
A GP might also decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist a person overcome an issue or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. One of the problems is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to over-working and delays for people who aren't in need.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer consider whether the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer has to check when the referral is urgent.