Mental Health Services on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.

Getting help

One of four people will be affected by mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and most of us will improve over time. But it's important to know what assistance is available, and who is able to provide it.

You can seek assistance from a variety of sources like your doctor (primary care medical doctor), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the kind of help you require.

Your GP will usually ask you to fill in the form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also talk to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be consulted by members of a mental team, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in an emergency, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's a good idea contact your regular team first, unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or on a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis and provide support within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.

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

Treatment options

The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat minor illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require an expert team. These teams are located in both community and primary mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can get help for those who are in a crisis.

Talking treatments for anxiety and depression 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 each year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.

A variety of talk therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is lots of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.

While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care however, it is still struggling to keep up with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They typically are located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.

One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns over the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe places.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is much to do.

Patients who are experiencing mental health issues require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them receive help. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.

We will also expand services for people who require them in the community, including talking therapies, to give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.

The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk or give guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.

There are also local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. Many of these organizations also provide support groups in person for those who prefer this method.

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, or information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They can also offer various classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.

Referrals

Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult choices regarding which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe can help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They might also ask the GP to alter the referral or ask for more information.

Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. online mental health assessment offer both options, and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A GP might decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer 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 lives.

One of the major challenges that CMTs CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are made within the proper time frame. One of the challenges is that a lot of referrals are deemed as urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.


To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using an established form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick if they feel that the referral is urgent.