20 Fun Informational Facts About Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been an enormous increase in people seeking treatment for mental health issues and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the amount of money spent on mental health services more quickly than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Get help
One in four of us will experience mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to seek assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover over time. It is essential to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it.
You can seek assistance from your doctor or the local health center, or a mental health service in your local area. These teams are comprised of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. Depending on the type of help you need 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 service in the community. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will be seen by an individual from a mental team which includes psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances a clinical nurse specialist will carry out your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's best to call your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based 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 provide support to those in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that people experiencing a mental crisis are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require a specialist team. These teams are spread across both community and primary mental health services and also the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. 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 can access them by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest a medicine that is right for you.
A wide range of talking therapy treatments are available, assessment including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it is a matter of choice. There are also a lot of charities that offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there is plenty of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health services however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They typically are located in a specific area however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis, such as mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there are positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is much more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the quality of services for those who require them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also extend services for those who require them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health conditions the assistance 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, more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or give guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.
There are also local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. 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 an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those who feel down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information. They can provide support in a variety of ways such as online and through local groups. They also provide many classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.
Referrals
mental health assessment test health services are under pressure and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able to assist. They can send a referral either 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 will call the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They can also request the GP for more information or to change the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may also decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also provide an early intervention service in which psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to help someone overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their life.
CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in need.
To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form which asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe the referral is urgent.