Mental Health Services on the NHS

There has been a huge increase in people seeking help 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 health services more quickly than overall NHS budget. This includes special suicide prevention services.

Get help

One out of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to get help and most of us recover after a while. It is important to know what help is available and who can offer it.

You can seek help from your doctor or your local health center or mental health service in your area. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with the clients who seek their services. You can get individual or group therapy depending on the type of help you require.

Your GP will usually request you to fill out an application form to refer you to a local mental health team. They will also ask what is a mental health assessment kind of support you need. You will be consulted by a member of a mental team, such as psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're in a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you are already receiving mental health support it is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of hours, on a weekend or bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. They will improve the quality of care that is delivered to people who are suffering from an illness of mental health and provide support within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.

The plan also aims to make crisis services more accessible by cutting down waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat minor disorders, but more serious illnesses will require the assistance of a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek help if you are feeling in a state of crisis.

Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are one of the main treatments. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive assessment in mental health and Psychotherapy) have seen their numbers of clients increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs so that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medications are another crucial aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to ease side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.

There are many different types of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website is full of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is plenty of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.

While the NHS is advancing its mental health services, it still struggles to cope with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific region however, they can also be commissioned to provide national services.

The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and providing more training. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat people in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe spaces.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been numerous positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. However, there is much to do.

Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis require the ability to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them receive them. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% of them will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100% coverage.

We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions regardless of whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people suffering from mental health problems can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.

The NHS offers confidential, free assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. They 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 provide guidance and information on how can i get a mental health assessment to manage your mental health concerns.

Additionally there are a variety of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to people with mental health problems. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. Many of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who prefer it.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students experiencing stress or depression. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as information about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.

Making a referral

Mental health services are under strain and GPs have to make difficult choices about the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a service they believe can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they'll call the GP and explain the reasons. They may request the GP to alter the referral or request more details.

Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a preliminary mental health assessment cost health clinical assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.

A GP may also decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They also provide an early intervention service where psychiatrists work with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome any crisis or improve the quality of their life.

CMTs face the challenge of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to delays and over-working for those who are not in crisis.

To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to decide if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.