14 Questions You Shouldn't Be Afraid To Ask About Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS
There has been a massive rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Need help?
One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to get help and most of us recover with time. It is important to know the types of help available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of sources like your doctor (primary medical doctor who treats patients), your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the patients who require their services. Depending on the type of help you require you could receive individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you what type of assistance you require. You will be seen by an individual from the mental team, such as psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. If you're in an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate assistance. If you already receive mental health support It is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend, or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are linked to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from a mental health crisis and offer assistance in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from a mental health crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require an expert team. These teams work in both community and primary healthcare facilities as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously known as IAPT, these programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase every year since their introduction in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can improve symptoms through changing the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.
There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other are available online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal choice. There are also a lot of charities that offer support groups and courses, such as Mind. Their website contains a wealth of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.
The NHS is working to improve the quality of mental health care, but it's struggling to meet 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 are typically located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and availability of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and secure space.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been taken down. But there is more to be done.
People who are suffering from mental illness need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the services available to 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. 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
We will also enhance services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues, whether they are common or severe. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health issues can be seen more quickly by qualified therapists.
The NHS provides free, confidential helplines for anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide advice and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.
Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. These include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways such as online and through local groups. how to get mental health assessment can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes, which are beneficial for those with mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions regarding which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the patient's medical background and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They may refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They can also request the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either an initial clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large local healthcare organisation or a hospital. 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 works with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a problem or improve their life quality.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent even though they may not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.