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Mental Health Services on the NHS

There has been a massive increase in people seeking help for mental health issues, and the NHS has responded by providing services. This includes:

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

Helping yourself

One out of four people will be affected by mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many avenues to seek help, and most of us will improve over time. It is important to know what help is available and who can offer it.

You can seek assistance from your physician or the local health center or a mental health service in your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with patients who require their services. You can receive individual or group therapy depending on the type of assistance you require.

Your GP will usually request you to fill out an application form to make a referral to a local mental health team. They will also ask what kind of support you need. Then, you will be viewed by someone from a mental health team, which may comprise a psychiatrist social worker or psychologist. In certain instances your evaluation and treatment will be performed by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea to try and contact your usual team first, unless it's out of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are connected to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care delivered to people experiencing a crisis, and offer support to patients in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.


The plan also aims at making emergency services available by reducing wait times and allowing more beds. It also proposes the introduction of mental health transport vehicles, and ensure that every ambulance has a mental health liaison nurse 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 for people suffering from mental health problems. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs, while more serious conditions require specialists. These teams operate in primary and community mental healthcare services as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure space if you feel in crisis.

Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for anxiety and depression. Previously known as IAPT the programs have seen referrals increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services so that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.

The use of psychiatric medication is also a crucial component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals in your brain work. They can be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you.

A variety of talk therapy options are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, but others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it's the choice of the patient. There are also a lot of charities which offer support groups and classes like Mind. Their website is full of reliable information, but you should be aware that there's lots of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.

Full Content private mental health care is advancing mental health care but it's struggling to meet the demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding from the clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to provide national services.

The main issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are also concerns about the quality of care, and there is a shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is trying to improve the quality of care by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also offers more efficient and safer methods to treat those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe spaces.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being broken down. However, there is much to do.

Patients who are experiencing mental health problems must be able to get the assistance they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them are able to access help. We will ensure that no acute hospital does not have the mental health liaison service in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24. We will work towards achieving 100% coverage afterward.

We will also extend services for people who require them in the community, which includes therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of people suffering from severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program to ensure that more people are treated by trained therapists quicker.

The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone suffering from a mental health issue. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines that are available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide an environment where you can talk in a safe manner or provide information and advice on how to deal with your mental health issues.

In addition there are a variety of local organizations that provide support and guidance to those with mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. Many of these organisations also provide support groups in person for those who would prefer this type of support.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are feeling down or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, as well as 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 also provide a variety of classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for those living with mental health problems.

Referring someone to you

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

A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain why. They can also ask the GP to provide more information or to modify the referral.

The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals refer patients to either a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system can't be used for every kind of mental health referral.

A doctor may also decide to refer a patient to an expert community mental health service (CMT). They are typically run by a major local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a great option for those who need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention program where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their life.

CMTs have the responsibility of making sure that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead to over-working and delays for people who aren't in a crisis.

To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was accomplished by using a standardised form which asks the referrer if the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick when the referral is urgent.