Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget overall. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Need help?
One out of four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to seek help, and most 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 of places such as your GP (primary care medical doctor), your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational therapists, nurses psychotherapists, psychotherapists, and speech and language therapists who work together with people who use the service. You can get individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you require.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask you to specify what type of assistance you require. You will be assessed by an individual from a mental team, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in an emergency. If you're already being assisted by mental health services, it's best to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of normal hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is given to those suffering from a mental health crisis. They will also offer support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making emergency services available by reducing wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat less severe illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams work in both community and primary healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously referred to as IAPT These programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric drugs are a different component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering how the brain's chemicals function. They can be used to reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the best medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other are available via remote access. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it is an individual choice. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
While the NHS is improving its mental health services but it's still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their services. They are usually located in a particular region however they can also be contracted to provide national services.

The absence of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of working and offering more training. It also offers safer and more effective methods of treating people who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
We are here to help you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is much more to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental health crisis must be able to get the help they need quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve services for people who need these services. We will ensure that every acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70 percent of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.
cool training will also extend services for people who need them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide information and advice on how to manage your mental health issues.
There are also a number local organizations that provide assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and activities can be included. Many of these organisations offer face-toface support groups to those who prefer it.
For mental health assessments , 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. There is also the Nightline student counselling service, which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a excellent source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They also provide a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.
Making a referral
Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult decisions about which specialist services to refer their patients to. The doctor will take into consideration the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe can aid. They might send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If navigate to these guys isn't satisfied with the referral they will call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also ask the GP to provide more information or to change the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary 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 decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a large hospital or local health care organization. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist will work with the therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.
CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.
To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick when the request is urgent.