3 Reasons 3 Reasons Why Your Mental Health Services NHS Is Broken (And How To Fix It)

· 6 min read
3 Reasons 3 Reasons Why Your Mental Health Services NHS Is Broken (And How To Fix It)

Mental Health Services on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the rising number of mental health problems by offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to boost investment in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.

Get assistance

One of four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives. The good news is that there are many ways to get help, and most of us will be able to recover with time. It's important to understand what assistance is available and who can provide it.

You can seek assistance from your physician or your local health center or a mental health team within your area. These teams comprise of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They collaborate with people who use their services. Depending on the type of help you need you could receive individual or group therapy.

You will be asked to fill out a form from your GP so they can refer you to a mental health service in the community. They will also ask what kind of support you need. You will then be seen by a member of a mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be conducted by a specialist in clinical nursing. If you're experiencing a crisis, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for immediate 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 outside of core hours, the weekend or on a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams which are connected to primary care networks. These plans will aid in improving the quality of care that is given to those experiencing a mental health crisis and offer assistance within their communities and homes rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by cutting down wait times and opening up more beds. It would also introduce an ambulance for mental health and ensure that all ambulances are outfitted with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that those who are experiencing mental distress are supported during emergency situations.

Treatment options


The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for mental health issues. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs, while more serious disorders require an expert team. These teams are located in primary and community healthcare facilities, as well psychiatric hospital. You can also seek assistance in a secure environment if you feel in crisis.

Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the most popular types of treatment. Formerly known as IAPT These programs have seen referral numbers increase each year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people can access them by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric drugs are a different part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by changing the way the brain's chemicals work. They can also help minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medication for you.

A wide variety of talking therapy options are available which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others can be delivered remotely. Some patients prefer face-to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of the charities that offer support groups and courses. Their website has a lot of information that is reliable, however you must be aware that there is lots of false or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.

The NHS is improving the quality of mental health care, but it struggles 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 services. They usually are located in a specific region however, they may be commissioned to provide national services.

A key issue is the insufficient resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns over the quality and availability of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is striving to improve its services by introducing new ways of work and delivering more training. It also provides safer and more effective ways to help those who are in crisis. This includes mobile crisis teams, as well as safe space.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was launched 70 years ago there have been positive changes for people suffering from mental health issues. The treatment options have increased and social barriers have been smashed down. But there is still more to do.

People who are in a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily.  Read This method  is working to improve its services to ensure that those who need them can get help. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison service in A&E departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21, and that 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards 100% coverage thereafter.

mental health evaluation  will also expand services for those who require them in the community, including therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands more people suffering from severe or common mental health issues the help they require. We will continue to work on the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, more quickly.

The NHS provides confidential, free helplines to those suffering from mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment or provide guidance and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.

There are also a number local organisations that can provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. These include self-help guides, strategies for coping and activities to try. A lot of these organizations offer support groups that meet face-to-face for those who prefer this method.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are struggling or stressed. Nightline is a student counseling service that provides confidential listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide many sources of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer various classes and activities, ranging from mindfulness to art groups that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.

Making a referral

Mental health services are under pressure and GPs must make difficult choices regarding the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they think can assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent service.

mental health assessment online uk  will then assess the referral and decide if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't pleased with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and explain the reasons. They might request the GP to modify the referral or ask for more details.

Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) may be made via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). The system allows GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer people to either a mental health assessment or directly to an appointment with an outpatient. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A GP may decide to refer a person to a specialized community mental health service (CMT). These are usually run by a major local healthcare organization or hospital. CMTs are an excellent option for those who require to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, but do not require inpatient treatment. They can also offer an early intervention service where psychiatrists collaborate with therapy therapist to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.

One of the major challenges that a CMT is ensuring that all appropriate referrals are allocated within an appropriate time frame. One of the challenges is that many referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be overworked and experience delays.

To address this issue, some CMHTs are trying to establish more uniform guidelines for what is considered 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 is able to tick if the referral is urgent.