So You've Bought Mental Health Services NHS ... Now What?

Mental Health Services on the NHS There has been an enormous rise in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes: The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention. Get help One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is there are many ways to get help, and most of us will be able to recover with time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it. You can seek assistance from your GP, your local health center or a mental health service in your area. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you require. Your GP will typically require you to fill out an application form to send you a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will be consulted by members of the mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're in crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's best to contact your regular team first unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday. The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and offer support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital. The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and ensure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations. Treatment options The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more severe conditions require an expert team. These teams work in community and primary healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help for those who are in crisis. Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main types of treatment. These programs, formerly known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024. The use of psychiatric medication is also an important element of treatment. They can improve symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the best medication for you. A wide variety of talking therapy options are available including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others can be done online. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it's an individual choice. There are also a number of charities that provide support groups and courses like Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy, but be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet regarding mental health issues. While the NHS is advancing its mental health care however, it is still struggling to cope with demand. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a particular region, but can be contracted to provide national services. The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is trying to improve these services by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also provides safer and more effective methods to treat people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe space. Supporting you Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been taken down. However, there is much to do. People who are in mental health issues should receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve services for people 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 a 100% coverage rate after that. We will also expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health conditions can be seen quicker by qualified therapists. The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run entirely by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or give advice and information on how to manage your mental health issues. There are also a number local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping strategies and other activities are available. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who would prefer it. The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. There's 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 excellent source of information and offer support in many forms that include online and through local groups. They offer a variety of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues. Referrals With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able to aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider. A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They can also request the GP for more details or to modify the referral. Requests for 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 send patients to either an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral. A GP might decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs can be a good alternative for those looking to consult with a seasoned psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service where psychiatrists work with a therapy therapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life. CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. private mental health assessment cost uk www.iampsychiatry.com can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be overworked and experience delays. To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This has been accomplished through the use of the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick to indicate if the referral is urgent.