10 Things Everyone Hates About Mental Health Services NHS

10 Things Everyone Hates About Mental Health Services NHS

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 offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to increase investment in mental health services more quickly than overall NHS budget. This will include special suicide prevention services.

Helping yourself

One out of four of us will have mental health issues at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover over time. But it's important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.

You can get help from your physician, your local health center or mental health team within your community. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and psychotherapists. They work with patients who require their services. You can receive individual or group therapy based on the type of assistance you require.

Your GP will usually request you to fill out the form so that they can refer you to a local mental health team. They will also talk to you about what kind of help you require. You will be seen by members of an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will conduct 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 services, it is best to contact your regular team first, unless it is outside of hours, or on a weekend or bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health included plans to establish more multidisciplinary, place-based community mental health teams that have links to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the mental health services provided to those in crisis, and will provide assistance to them in their homes and community rather than in hospitals.

The plan aims to make crisis services accessible by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It also proposes a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with a mental liaison nurse within the control room to make sure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are assisted in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS provides a variety of treatment options for mental health problems. GPs are usually able to treat milder disorders, but more serious conditions will require a specialist team. These teams work in primary and community healthcare facilities and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a safe space when you are in a 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 numbers of clients increase each year since they first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these services to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric drugs are a different aspect of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also help reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will suggest the right medication for you.

There are a variety of talking therapies, including individual therapy and group therapy. Some of these treatments are delivered in person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer to receive treatment in person, but this is a personal decision. There are also a lot of charities that offer support groups and classes, such as Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is reliable but you should be aware that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet concerning mental health issues.

The NHS is advancing mental health care but it struggles to meet the demands. In the UK, there are 54 mental trusts. They receive the majority of funding for their services from clinical commissioning group. They are typically located in a specific region however, they are also able to be commissioned to deliver national services.

The shortage of resources is a major issue. There are also concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve these services by providing more training and introducing new methods of working. It also introduces safer and more effective methods of treating people in crisis.  mental health diagnostic assessment  includes mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.

Helping you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago, there have been many positive changes for people with mental health problems. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being taken down. But there is still more to be done.

Patients who are experiencing mental health problems require the ability to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is striving to improve the quality of services to ensure that those in need are able to access assistance. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service, both in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of these will meet the standard of 24 by 2023/24. Then we will work towards 100 percent coverage.

We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health issues regardless of whether they are severe or common. We will continue to work on our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health issues are seen faster by therapists who are qualified.

The NHS offers confidential, no-cost helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They offer a safe space to talk, or offer guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health concerns.

There are a variety of local organizations that can offer assistance and support to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organisations provide support groups in person to those who prefer it.

For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers a drop-in counselling service for those who feel low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening as well as information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways that include online and through local groups. They also provide various courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for those living with mental health issues.

Making a referral

With mental health services under pressure, GPs have to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The doctor will take the patient's medical history into consideration and then refer them to a specialist they think will be able to help. They can send a referral either to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral, they'll call the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reason. They may also ask the GP to change the referral or ask for more information.

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 people to either a pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. However there are some exceptions. CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every type of mental health referral.

A GP may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). These are usually operated by a large local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are a good choice for those who have to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service in which psychiatrists collaborate with psychotherapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.


CMTs are faced with the task of making sure that all referrals are made within a reasonable time frame. One of the problems is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they might not be. This can result in over-working and delays for people who aren't in a crisis.

To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform standards for what constitutes a referral urgent.  mental health checkup  has been accomplished through the use of an established referral form that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box for the referrer to check if they feel that the referral is urgent.