Mental Health Services on the NHSThe NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health issues by providing services. This includes:The Long Term Plan has made the commitment to increase the investment in mental health services quicker than the NHS budget overall. This includes special suicide prevention services.Get helpOne of four of us will have a mental health problem at some time in our lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and most of us will be able to recover over time. It's important to understand what help is available and who can offer it.You can seek help from a variety places like your doctor (primary medical doctor who treats patients) as well as your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams consist of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They collaborate with clients who seek their services. Based on the kind of help you require, you may be offered individual or group therapy.You will be asked to fill out a form by your GP so they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline for assistance if you're in an emergency. If you already receive mental health support it is recommended to call your usual team first, unless it is outside of hours, or 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 links to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is given to those experiencing an illness of mental health and provide support in their homes and communities rather than in hospitals.The plan also aims at making crisis services more accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have a mental health liaison nurse in their control rooms to improve the way that people who are having mental health issues are helped in times of crisis.Treatment optionsThe NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health conditions. GPs typically have the ability to treat milder illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require a specialist team. These teams are located in both community and primary healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. There are also safe places where you can seek help when you're in a state of crisis.Talking therapies are one of the most common types of treatment for anxiety and depression. These programs, previously known as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy) have seen their number of referrals increase every year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them in 2023/2024.The use of psychiatric medication is also a vital component of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to alleviate the side effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.There are many kinds of talk therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in person, while others are available remotely. Some patients prefer receiving treatment in person, but this is a personal preference. Mind is one of the charities that provide support groups and classes. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you must be aware that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information on the internet about mental health issues.The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it is struggling to meet the demand. There are private mental health assessment in the UK, and most of are funded by clinical commissioning groups to deliver their service. They are typically located in a particular region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.One of the main issues is the insufficient resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the services by introducing new methods of work and delivering more training. It also introduces safer and more effective methods of treating people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.We are here to help youSince the NHS was established 70 years ago, there are positive changes for those with mental health issues. The treatment options have gotten better and social barriers have been smashed down. But there's still a lot to be done.People who are experiencing mental illness need to get the help they need quickly and easily. This is why the NHS is striving to improve the services available to those who require these services. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21, and that 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 expand services for the community, such as talking therapy, to provide support for hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from mental health conditions, 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, quicker.The NHS offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. 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.There are also local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people suffering from mental health issues. These can include self-help guides, coping strategies, and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this option.For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers an opportunity to consult with a counsellor at any time for those who feel depressed or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening as well as information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and support, both online and in local groups. They can also offer many classes and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people suffering from mental health problems.Making a referralWith mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult decisions about the services they will refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then recommend them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.A mental health specialist will examine the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist doesn't like the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They can also ask the GP for more information or to modify the referral.Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options and the system is not able to be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.A GP can refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local healthcare organisation or hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who have to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also provide an early intervention program, where a psychiatrist collaborates with an counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or improve their quality of life.One of the challenges that a CMT is how to ensure that all referrals are allocated within the appropriate timeframe. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can cause people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.To tackle this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more consistent standards for what is an urgent referral. This is being achieved through the use of an established referral form that requires a referrer determine if the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check when they believe the referral is urgent.