15 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Be Ignoring Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four people will be affected by mental illness at one time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will be able to recover over time. It is essential to know what assistance is available and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources, including your GP (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 and speech therapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. Based on the type of help you require you might be provided with 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 talk with you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be consulted by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you already receive mental health support it is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless it is out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care delivered to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer support within their communities and homes instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require specialists. These teams operate in both community and primary mental healthcare services, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek help in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the most popular treatments. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were first introduced 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 component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. There are also a lot of charities which offer classes and support groups like Mind. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you should be aware that there's plenty of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve mental health care but it is struggling to meet the demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a specific area however, they can also be commissioned to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve these services by offering more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces more secure and efficient methods to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are in a mental crisis need to receive the help they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who require them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then how to get a mental health assessment will strive to achieve 100% coverage.
We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, 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) in order to ensure that more people suffering from mental health issues are seen faster by trained therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from a mental health issue. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
Additionally there are a variety of local organizations that offer support and guidance for those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.
For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information. They can provide support in various forms that include online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will look at the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe can aid. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. They may also ask the GP for more information or to modify the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP may also decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their quality of life.
One of the major challenges faced by a CMT is ensuring that all referrals are made within the proper time frame. One of the issues is that a large number of referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent guidelines for what is considered an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.