20 Resources That'll Make You More Efficient At Mental Health Services NHS

extra resources  on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health problems by offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan has made a renewed commitment to grow investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.

Get assistance

One in four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different options to seek help, and most people recover over time. It is essential 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) as well as your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Depending on the type of assistance you require you could receive individual or group therapy.

Your GP will typically request you to fill out a form to make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will be consulted by a member of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will conduct your assessment and treatment. You can call the NHS 111 helpline if you are in an emergency. If you're already supported by mental health services it's a good idea 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 set out 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 care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and will provide assistance to patients within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aimed at make crisis services more accessible by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way people suffering from a mental health crisis are assisted in emergencies.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a wide range of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are often able to treat milder disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams operate across primary and community mental health services and the psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment should you be in a state of crisis.

Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are one of the main types of treatment. Previously known as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has set the goal of expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medications are another crucial component of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also help reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.

There are a variety of talk therapy, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be done remotely. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but that is a personal preference. There are also a number of charities which offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. The site is full of information that is trustworthy, but be aware that there are many false or misleading statements on the internet concerning mental health issues.

The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet demand. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They usually are located in a particular region however, they may be contracted to provide national services.

One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns over the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat people in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.

Helping you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are being taken down. But there's still a lot to be done.

People who are suffering from mental health issues need to be able to access the help they require quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve the quality of services for those who require them. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have 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 meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.

We will also expand services for people who require them in the community, including talking therapies, to give hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the support they need. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health problems are seen faster by qualified therapists.

The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by volunteers who provide an environment where you can talk to someone in a safe manner or offer advice and guidance on how to deal your mental health issues.

There are a variety of local organizations that can offer help and advice to those with mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. A lot of these organizations provide support groups in person for those who prefer this option.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that offers confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or information on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.

Referrals

With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they believe could be able to assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist 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 why. They may also ask the GP for more details or to alter 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 to direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A GP might also decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local health organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to consult a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist works with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.

CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. One of the challenges is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can result in delays and over-working for those who aren't in a crisis.

To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer to determine if the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe the referral is urgent.