What Will Mental Health Services NHS Be Like In 100 Years?
Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by providing services. This includes:
The Long Term Plan has made an unrepeatable commitment to increase the investment in mental health services faster than the NHS budget in general. This includes specialist work in suicide prevention.
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 plenty of different options to seek help and most of us recover with time. It is crucial to know what help is available and who can provide it.
You can seek assistance from a variety of places such as your doctor (primary medical doctor for primary care) or your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are comprised of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. You may receive individual or group therapy based on the type of help you require.
Your doctor will typically require you to fill out an application form so that they can make a referral to a community mental health team. They will also speak to you about what kind of assistance you require. You will be seen by an individual from the mental team like psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be carried out by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea contact your regular team first unless it's out of normal hours, on a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health outlined plans to create more multidisciplinary, community-based, place-based mental health teams with links to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of the care given to those experiencing a mental health crisis. They will also offer support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aims to make crisis services accessible by decreasing wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to improve how people experiencing a mental crisis are assisted in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs are often able to treat less severe illnesses, however more serious issues will require a specialist team. These teams work across primary and community mental health services, as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a safe space should you be in a state of crisis.
Talking therapies for depression and anxiety are among the main treatments. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their referral numbers increase every year since they were launched in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.
Psychiatric medicines are also a crucial element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you.
There are many different types of talk therapies, such as individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these are delivered in person, while others can be done via a remote device. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it's the choice of the patient. Mind is one of the organizations that offer support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of trustworthy information, but you should be aware that there's plenty of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.
The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are usually located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.
The absence of resources is a major issue. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve these services by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also offers safer and more effective methods to treat those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams and safe space.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is still more to do.
People who are experiencing mental health issues should receive the help they require quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services to ensure that those in need can get them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals offer a mental health liaison service both in A&E and on inpatient wards, and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive to achieve 100 percent coverage.
We will also increase services for those who require them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give thousands of more patients with severe or common mental health conditions the support they need. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people are visited by therapists who are qualified, quicker.
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 operated entirely by volunteers who offer a safe place to talk or provide advice and information on how to manage your mental health issues.
Additionally to that, there are a lot of local organizations that can provide assistance and support for people with mental health problems. Self-help guides, coping techniques and other activities are all possible. Many of these organisations also offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who would prefer this type of support.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who are feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and provide support in a variety of ways, including online and through local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
mental health assessments for adults
With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will consider the medical history of the patient and refer them to services they believe will be able aid. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide the reason. They may also request the GP for more details or to change the referral.
The ability to refer patients to the local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to direct patients to a preliminary clinical assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system is not able to be used for all types of mental health referrals.
A GP might also decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run either by an enormous hospital or a local health care organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist but do not require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention service where a psychiatrist works with a psychotherapist to help someone overcome an issue or improve the quality of their lives.
One of the challenges faced by a CMT is to ensure that all appropriate referrals are made within an appropriate time frame. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in delays and over-working for people who are not in crisis.
To combat this problem, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form that asks the referrer if the situation is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe the referral is urgent.