10 Things People Hate About Mental Health Services NHS
Mental Health Services on the NHS The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by offering services. This includes: The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services faster than overall NHS budget. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention. Get help One of four people will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different ways to get assistance and the majority of us recover after a while. It is essential to know what help is available and who is able to provide it. You can seek help from a variety of sources such as your doctor (primary care medical doctor) or your local health centre, or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can get individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require. You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also talk to you about what kind of assistance you require. Then, you will be viewed by someone from a mental health team, which may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases, your assessment and treatment will be carried out by a nurse specialist. If you're in crisis, call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate support. If you're already being supported by mental health services, it's a good idea try and contact your usual team first, unless it's outside of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday. The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to establish multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and will provide assistance to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals. The plan also aimed at help 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 every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations. Treatment options The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs are usually able to treat minor conditions, but more severe conditions will require a specialist team. These teams work across both community and primary mental health services, and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance if you are feeling in a state of crisis. Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their referral numbers increase every 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 also an important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way chemicals in your brain work. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you. A variety of talk therapy options are offered including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of them are offered in person, while others are available via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is an individual choice. Mind is one of many organizations that offer support groups and courses. The website contains a wealth of reliable information however, be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet regarding mental health issues. The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning groups. They usually are located in a specific area, but they can be commissioned to offer national services. The lack of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and a shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to treat people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and safe spaces. Helping you Since the NHS was first introduced 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 experiencing mental illness need to receive the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those who need them are able to access assistance. In 2020/21, we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on wards for inpatients, and that 70% of these will meet the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage. We will also increase services for the community, such as talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health problems, whether they are severe or common. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT), so that more people with mental health conditions can be seen more quickly by trained therapists. The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. They include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run entirely 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 also local organisations that can provide assistance and support to those who suffer from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organisations offer support groups that meet face-to-face to those who would prefer it. For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who are feeling depressed or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details about other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They can provide a variety of courses and activities from mindfulness to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues. Referring someone to you Mental health services are under pressure and GPs have to make difficult decisions about the best 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 will be able assist. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider. A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may request the GP to alter the referral or request more information. Referrals to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system permits GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a pre-mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. However there are Read This method . CMHTs offer both options and the system isn't able to be used for every type of mental health referral. A GP may also decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically operated by a large local healthcare organisation or hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't require inpatient treatment. They also offer an early intervention service, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an psychotherapist to help a patient overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life. One of the challenges faced by a CMT is how to ensure that all suitable referrals are assigned within the proper time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause patients who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays. To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was accomplished by using a standardised form that asks the referrer if the case is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer has to check to indicate if the request is urgent.