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 offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.

Need help?

One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to get help, and most people recover with time. It is essential to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.

You can get help from your GP, your local health center or mental health team within your area. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of help you need.

You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also talk to you about the kind of help you need. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some instances the clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment mental health and treatment. If you're in crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you already receive mental health support, it is best to call your usual team first, unless it is out of hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care that is provided to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer assistance in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health issues. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require a specialist team. These teams operate in both community and primary health services for full mental health Assessment health as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a state of crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric drugs are a different part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.

A variety of talk therapy options are available, including group therapy and Full Mental Health Assessment individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, whereas others are available online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of many charities that provide support groups and courses. The site contains a wealth of reliable information, but be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements on the internet about mental health issues.

While the NHS is improving its mental health care however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They are typically located in a specific region, but can be commissioned to deliver national services.

A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns about the quality of care and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis like mobile crisis teams, full Mental health Assessment as well as safe places.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being broken down. But there's still a lot to be done.

Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis must be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard 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 that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100% coverage.

We will also enhance community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions regardless of whether they are serious or common. 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 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 by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.

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

For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling low or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health issues.

Making a referral

Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult choices about which specialist services they should refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they believe will be able to help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent mental health assessment provider.

A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also request the GP for more information or to alter the referral.

The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.

A GP might also decide to refer a patient to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't need inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with a counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.

CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the issues is that many referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they may not be. This can lead people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.

To address this issue, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires the referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick to indicate if the request is urgent.