Are You Getting The Most The Use Of Your Mental Health Services NHS?
Mental Health Services on the NHSThere has been a huge increase in people seeking help 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 the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.
Getting help
One of four people will be affected by a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can offer it.
You can seek help from a variety places such as your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses, 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 could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also talk with you about the kind of help you need. You will be consulted by members of the mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you are experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you're already supported by mental health services it's a good idea 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 outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to patients in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed at help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat less severe disorders, but more serious issues will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams operate in primary and community health services for mental health and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their introduction 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 another important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be delivered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a lot of charities which website offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. Their website is full of trustworthy information, but you must be aware that there's plenty of misleading or false information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services however, it is still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across website the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They are typically located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The absence of resources is a major problem. There are also concerns about the quality of care and there is a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also offers safer and more effective methods of treating people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Helping you
Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been broken down. But there more info is more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health issues require the ability to access the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the quality of services for those who require them. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will be in line with the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also enhance community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health issues, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are treated by trained therapists more quickly.
The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or give guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organisations that can provide help and advice to those suffering from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can offer a range of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.
Referring someone to you
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can help. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will call the GP and explain their read more reasons. They may also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral.
The referral to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) more info can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system permits GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a mental health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. 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 might decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist collaborates with the psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their life quality.
CMTs face the challenge of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even if they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who aren't in a crisis.
To tackle this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what is an urgent referral. This was achieved by using a standardised form which asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.