Mental Health Services on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health problems by offering services. This includes:

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

Need help?

One out of four people will suffer from 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 over time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available, and who can provide it.

You can seek help from your physician or your local health center or a mental health team in your community. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the clients who seek their services. Based on the kind of assistance you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.


You will be asked to fill out a form by your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you what kind of support you need. You will be assessed by a member of the mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances the assessment and treatment will be performed by a clinical nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you are already receiving mental health support 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 detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to them in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.

The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from mental health issues are assisted in emergencies.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat less severe disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams are located in community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a secure space should you be in a state of crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main types of treatment. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase every year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medications are also a vital component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.

There are a variety of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other can be done online. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there's plenty of misleading or false information on the internet about mental health issues.

While the NHS is working to improve its mental health services, it still struggles to meet the demands. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding from the clinical commissioning group. mental health diagnostic assessment are located in a specific area, but can be commissioned to provide national services.

One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are also concerns over the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also provides more secure and efficient methods of treating people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure space.

Helping you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. But there is still more to do.

People who are suffering from mental illness need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who need these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.

We will also extend services for people who need them in the community, including talking therapies, to give thousands of more people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health conditions are seen faster by qualified therapists.

The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with a mental health issue. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.

In addition, there are a number of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations also provide support groups in person for those who prefer this method.

For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those feeling depressed or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in various forms such as online and through local groups. They can offer a range of activities and courses ranging from mindfulness to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.

Referrals

With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they believe can assist. They can send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also request the GP to provide more information or to alter the referral.

The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system cannot be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A GP may decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by a large hospital or local healthcare organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapist in order to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their lives.

One of the biggest challenges that CMTs CMT is to ensure that all referrals are made within the proper time frame. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form which asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check when the referral is urgent.