10 Inspiring Images About Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services 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 invest more in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.
Helping yourself
One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It is crucial to know the types of help available and who can provide it.
You can get help from your GP, your local health center or mental health service in your community. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with people who use the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the kind of help you require.
Your GP will typically request you to fill out the form to send you a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask you what type of assistance you require. You will be assessed by an individual from the mental team, such as psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's a good idea try and contact 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, community-based, place-based mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health issues. GPs are often able to treat less severe conditions, but more severe illnesses will require an expert team. These teams are located in community and primary healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe places where you can get help for those who are in crisis.
Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you.
A variety of talk therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies can be offered in person, while other can be performed remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. There are also a number of charities that provide classes and support groups like Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading statements on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is working to improve its mental health care, it still struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are usually located in a specific area however, they are also able to be contracted to provide national services.
The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to treat people in crisis like mobile crisis teams and secure areas.
Supporting you
Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive changes for people with mental health problems. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been broken down. But there is much more to be done.
Patients who are experiencing mental health problems need to be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve the services available to those who need 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% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100% coverage.
We will also increase services for people who need them in the community, which includes talking therapies, to give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are seen by qualified therapists, faster.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or give advice and information about how to handle your mental health concerns.
There are also a number local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. Many of these organizations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
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's also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from experienced volunteers, or details about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in various forms, including online and through local groups. They offer a variety of activities and courses ranging including mindfulness classes to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health specialist will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They may also ask the GP for more information or to change 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 doctors and other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system can't be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.
A GP may refer a patient to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). about his are usually run by a major local health organization or hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who require to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't 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.
CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time. One of the issues is that many referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more consistent standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been achieved through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick if the referral is urgent.