Do You Know How To Explain Mental Health Services NHS To Your Boss Mental Health Services on the NHS

The NHS has responded to the rise in mental health issues by offering services. This includes:

The Long Term Plan reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in mental health services more quickly than the overall NHS budget. This will include specialist work in suicide prevention.

Get assistance

One in four people will be affected by mental illness at one point during their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover with time. However, it is important to know what assistance is available, and who can provide it.

You can seek help from a variety of sources, including your doctor (primary care medical doctor), your local health centre or a community mental health team. These teams are made up of occupational therapists, nurses, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work with those who utilize the service. You may receive individual or group therapy, based on the type of help you require.

You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. 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 psychologist or social worker. In some cases, a clinical nurse specialist will perform your assessment and treatment. If you're in a crisis, you can contact the NHS 111 helpline for urgent assistance. If you're already supported by mental health services it's a good idea 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 team of mental health professionals in the community which are connected to primary care networks. These teams will increase the quality of the care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and will provide assistance to them in their own homes and communities rather than in hospitals.

The plan also aimed to provide crisis services to more people by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It would also include a mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are stocked with an individual who is a mental liaison nurse in the control room to make sure that people experiencing a mental crisis are helped in times of crisis.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a range of treatment options to treat mental health problems. The less severe disorders are typically treated by GPs however more serious conditions require an expert team. These teams operate across community and primary mental health services as well as mental health hospitals. There are also safe spaces where you can seek assistance when you're in a state of crisis.

Talking treatments for anxiety and depression are among the main types of treatment. These programs, previously referred to as IAPT (Interactive Assessment and Psychotherapy), have seen their number of referrals increase each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these services to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medications are another crucial part 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 can be done online. Some patients prefer face to face treatment, but it's a matter of choice. Mind is one of many charities that offer support groups and courses. The website contains a wealth of information that is reliable however, be aware of the fact that there are many false or misleading statements on the internet concerning mental health issues.

The NHS is advancing the mental health system, but it is struggling to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of they receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They usually are located in a specific area however, they may be commissioned to offer national services.

A key issue is the lack of resources to meet the demands of the rising population. There are concerns about the quality and 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 secure and efficient methods of treating people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.

Supporting you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for people suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have gotten more diverse and social barriers are breaking down. But there's still a lot to do.

Patients who are experiencing mental health problems require the ability to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is putting in the effort to improve services for people who require them. By 2020/21 we will ensure that all acute hospitals have a mental health liaison service that is available in A&E and on inpatient wards and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. We will then strive for 100 percent coverage.

We will also increase services for people who need them in the community, such as therapy for talking, which will give hundreds of thousands of patients with severe or common mental health conditions the assistance they require. We will continue to develop the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme so that more people can be seen by qualified therapists, faster.

The NHS provides free, confidential helplines to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are operated by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer advice and information on how to manage your mental health issues.

There are also local organizations that provide help and advice to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and activities can be included. Many of these organisations also offer face-to-face support groups for those who prefer this option.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students struggling or stressed. There's also the Nightline student counselling service which provides confidential listening and support from knowledgeable volunteers, or details on other services. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both online and in local groups. They can provide a variety of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes that are useful for people with mental health issues.

Referring someone to you

With mental health services under pressure, GPs are having to make difficult decisions regarding the services they will refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then refer them to a specialist they believe could be able to assist. They may send a referral to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if the referral is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't satisfied with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain why. They could also ask the GP to modify the referral or request additional details.

The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made using the NHS e-Referral Service. The system lets doctors and other healthcare professionals send patients to either a preliminary assessment for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system can't be used for all types of mental health referrals.

A doctor may also refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). These are usually run by a large local healthcare organisation or a hospital. CMTs can be a good option for those who want to see an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist, but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention program where psychiatrists collaborate with therapist in order to assist a person overcome a crisis or improve the quality of their life.


Recommended Browsing private mental health are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To address this issue, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes an urgent referral. This was achieved through a standardised form which asks the referrer if they believe the case is urgent. The proforma includes a box for the referrer to tick when they believe that the referral is urgent.