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Mental Health Services on the NHS The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues 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 will include specialist suicide prevention work. Getting help One out of four of us will experience mental health issues at some time in our lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve with time. But it's important to know what help is available and who is able to provide it. You can seek help from a variety of places like your GP (primary medical doctor for primary care), your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists psychotherapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with those who utilize the service. You may receive individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you need. Your GP will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also speak to you about the kind of help you need. You will be seen by an individual from a mental team which includes psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're in a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you are already receiving mental health support it is recommended to contact your primary team first, unless out of office hours, on a weekend or bank holiday. The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams, with connections to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the mental health services delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and provide support to those in their homes and community rather than in hospitals. The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to improve the way that those suffering from an illness of mental health are helped in times of crisis. Treatment options The NHS offers a variety of treatment options to treat mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious issues will require an expert team. These teams work in community and primary healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space when you are in a crisis. Talking therapies are one of the most popular forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Previously referred to as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024. Psychiatric medicines are also an important element of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering how chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you. There are many kinds of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these therapies are delivered in person, while others are available via remote access. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and classes. The website contains a wealth of information that is reliable however, be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues. While the NHS is improving its mental health services, it still struggles to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK and the majority of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are typically located in a specific region, but can be commissioned to deliver national services. The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over 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 is also introducing more secure and efficient methods to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe areas. Helping you Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. But there's still a lot to do. People experiencing a mental health crisis need to be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is working hard to improve the services available to those who need them. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a 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 people who need them in the community, including psychotherapy, in order to provide thousands of more people with common or severe mental health issues the help they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program so that more people are seen by qualified therapists, faster. The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or give information and advice on how to tackle your mental health issues. Additionally, there are a number of local organisations which can provide support and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face 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 feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that provides confidential listening, support and information from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They also offer many courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes which can be helpful for people who suffer from mental health problems. Referring someone to you With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they believe could be able to assist. mental health diagnostic assessment can send a referral either to an NHS trust, or an independent provider. A mental health specialist will then evaluate the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If mental health diagnostic assessment isn't satisfied with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They may request the GP to alter the referral or ask for more information. Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals direct patients to a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral. A GP might also decide to refer a person to a specialist community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local healthcare organization. CMTs can be a good option for people who wish to consult with a seasoned psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life. CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable amount of time. One of the challenges is that many referrals are considered urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in need. To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent. mental health assessment report has been achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox for the referrer to tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.