Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget in general. This will include specialist suicide prevention work.
Get help
One of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will improve over time. However, it is important to know what help is available, and who can offer it.
mental health checkup can get help from your GP or your local health center or a mental health team in your area. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with those who utilize the service. You can receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of assistance you need.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so that they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also talk to you about the type of help you need. You will be seen by members of the mental team like psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases the clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you already receive support for your mental health it is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out plans to establish more place-based, multidisciplinary community mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These teams will improve the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to patients in their own homes and communities instead of in hospitals.
The plan also aims at making emergency services available by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from a mental health crisis are helped in times of crisis.
Treatment options

The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health issues. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require a specialist team. These teams are located in primary and community healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance for those who are in crisis.
Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular treatments. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people will be able to use them in 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can improve symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help reduce the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend a medicine that is right for you.
There are many kinds of talking therapies, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these therapies are offered in person, while other can be performed via remote access. assess mental health prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. There are a variety of charities that offer classes and support groups, such as Mind. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK and the majority of they receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to provide their service. They usually are located in a particular region, but they can be contracted to provide national services.
The lack of resources is a major issue. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new methods of working and offering more training. It also introduces more efficient and safer ways to help those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being taken down. But there is still more to do.
People experiencing mental health issues need to be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those in need can get them. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. We will also ensure that 70% of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100% coverage thereafter.
We will also enhance services for the community, such as talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions regardless of whether they are serious or common. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be visited by therapists who are qualified, more quickly.
The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to anyone struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner, or offer information and advice on how to tackle your mental health issues.
There are also local organisations that can provide support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organizations also 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 who are struggling or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service which offers confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or information about other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They offer a variety of courses and activities including mindfulness classes to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Referrals
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions regarding what specialist services they should refer patients to. The doctor will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they think can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.
A mental health professional will review the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They can also ask the GP for more details or to alter the referral.
Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs as well as other healthcare professionals to refer patients to either a pre-mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. However not all CMHTs offer both options and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A GP might decide to refer a person to an expert community mental health service (CMT). private mental health assessment ireland are usually run either by an extensive hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but don't 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 made within a reasonable time. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause people who aren't experiencing a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.
To address this issue some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform standards for what is an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using a standardised referral proforma that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.