in the know on the NHS
There has been a huge increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include special suicide prevention services.
Helping yourself
One in four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will be able to recover over time. However, it is important to know what help is available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who work together with the people who utilize the service. Based on the kind of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.
Your GP will usually require you to fill out the form to refer you to a local mental health team. They will also ask what type of assistance you require. You will be consulted by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you are already receiving mental health services, it is best to contact your regular team first, unless it is outside of hours, or on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of the mental health services that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and offer support to those within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs however more severe conditions require an expert team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services, and mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can get help when you're in crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referral numbers 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 medicines are another important aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
There are many different types of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is an individual choice. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and courses. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there's lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is improving the mental health system, but it struggles to meet demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.
The main issue is the lack of resources to meet rising demand. 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 work and delivering more training. It also introduces more secure and efficient ways to help people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and safe space.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being taken down. But there is more to be done.
People experiencing mental health problems must be able to get the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve services for people who require these services. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service that is available in A&E as well as on wards for patients and that 70% of them will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then work towards 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
in the know offers free, confidential helplines for anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. our homepage are run by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or give advice and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel low or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides 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 provide support in various forms such as online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able assist. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll contact the GP and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals send patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide 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 an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are usually managed by an extensive hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a great option for those who want to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
One of the major challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all referrals are allocated within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who aren't in need.
To combat this problem, a few 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 determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check if the referral is urgent.