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The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One in four people will be affected by a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It is essential to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek help from a variety places such as your doctor (primary care medical doctor) as well as your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of assistance you need.
Your GP will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a community mental health team. They will also ask you to specify what kind of support you need. You will be seen by an individual from a mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist. If you're in crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you already receive mental health services, it is best to contact your primary team first, unless outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing 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 people suffering from an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health problems. GPs are usually able to treat less severe illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community mental healthcare services as well as psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can get help if you are feeling in a crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main treatments. Formerly known as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase each year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering how chemicals in your brain work. private mental health assessment near me can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.
A wide range of talking therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website is full of reliable information, but you must be aware that there is plenty of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health care but it's still struggling to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. Most of them receive funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific area however, they can also be contracted to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It is also introducing safer and more effective ways to assist people in need, such as mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services to ensure that those who need them are able to access help. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards a 100% coverage rate after that.
We will also expand community services, including talk therapy, in order to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health conditions can be seen more quickly by trained therapists.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who offer an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this option.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and support both online and in local groups. They can also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They may request the GP to alter the referral or ask for more details.
The ability to refer patients to the 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 patients to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.
CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in a crisis.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick when the referral is urgent.