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 a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.

Get help

One out of four of us will have mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to seek help and most of us recover after a while. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can offer it.


You can seek assistance from your GP or your local health center or mental health service in your local area. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who collaborate with those who utilize the service. Based on the kind of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.

You will be asked to complete a form with your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk to you about the type of help you need. Then, private mental health assessment near me will be viewed by a member of the mental health team that may comprise a psychiatrist psychologist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're experiencing crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you already receive support for your mental health, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.

The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are helped in times of crisis.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. mental health assessments for adults are often treated by GPs and more serious conditions require a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.

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

Psychiatric medicines are also a vital part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.

There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, whereas others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. The website contains a wealth of reliable information but you should be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues.

The NHS is working to improve the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They typically are located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to provide national services.

The absence of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams and secure areas.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. However, there is much to be done.

People who are suffering from mental illness need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who need these services. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100% coverage.

We will also enhance services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues, 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 that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health concerns.

There are also local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are available. Many of these organisations 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 experiencing stress or depression. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, as well as information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can offer support in many forms such as online and through local groups. They also offer many classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems.

Referring someone to you

With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will consider the patient's medical background and recommend them to services they believe can help. They can send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They might also ask the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.

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

A doctor may decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their lives.

CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the problems is that many referrals are deemed urgent, despite the fact that they might not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To tackle this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer to indicate if the case is urgent. The proforma has a box that the referrer is able to tick if the request is urgent.