15 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Ignore 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 offering services. This includes: The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes specialist suicide prevention work. Getting help One of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. But it's important to know what help is available, and who is able to provide it. You can seek assistance from a variety places, including your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. You can receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you require. Your GP will usually ask you to fill in a form so that they can make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the kind of help you require. You will be assessed by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals which includes a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In certain instances, your assessment and treatment will be conducted by a nurse specialist. If you are experiencing crisis, contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you are already receiving mental health support it is recommended to contact your regular team first, unless outside of hours, or on a weekend or a bank holiday. The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of the care provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis and provide support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals. The plan also aims to make emergency services available by decreasing wait times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are assisted in emergency situations. Treatment options The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat less severe conditions, but more severe conditions will require a specialist team. These teams work across both community and primary mental health services and also mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can get help if you are feeling in a state of crisis. Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main treatments. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase each 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 access them in 2023/2024. Psychiatric medications are also a vital component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you. There are a variety of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these treatments are offered in person, while other can be done remotely. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's an individual choice. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and classes. Their website contains a wealth of trustworthy information, but you must be aware of the fact that there's a lot of false or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues. While the NHS is improving its mental health care but it's still struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are typically located in a specific region, but can be contracted to provide national services. The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and providing more training. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to help people in crisis like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas. Helping you Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive changes for people with mental health problems. The options for treatment have grown and social barriers have been taken down. But there's still a lot to be done. People who are suffering from mental health problems must be able to access the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services so that people in need can get them. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. 70% 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 those who require them in the community, including psychotherapy, in order to provide hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health issues can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified. The NHS offers free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated entirely by volunteers who provide a safe place to talk or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health issues. There are a variety of local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those with mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this method. For students, there is 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. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers confidential listening, support and information from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can offer support in many forms, including online and through local groups. They can also offer many classes and activities, from mindfulness to art groups, which may be useful for people suffering from mental health problems. Referrals With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they think could be able to assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service. A mental health professional will review the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They may also ask the GP to modify the referral or request additional information. The referral 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 direct patients to a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals. A GP might decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organisation or a hospital. what is a mental health assessment are a great option for those who want to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention program where psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist a person overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their life. One of the challenges faced by CMTs CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are assigned within an appropriate time frame. One of the challenges is that a lot of referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in a crisis. To address this issue, certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is considered an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form which asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick if the referral is urgent.