What Will Mental Health Services NHS Be Like In 100 Years?
Mental Health Services on the NHS
The NHS has responded to the increase in mental health issues by offering 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 will include specialist work in suicide prevention.
Helping yourself

One out of four people will suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives. The good news is that there are many different options to seek assistance and the majority of us recover with time. It's important to understand the types of help available and who can provide it.
You can get help from your doctor or the local health center or mental health team in your area. These teams are made up of nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and speech and language therapists who work together with the people who utilize the service. Based on the type of assistance you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.
You will be asked to fill out a form by your doctor so that they can refer you to a mental health team in the community. They will also ask what you require in terms of support. You will then be seen by a member of the mental health team that may include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In some cases the assessment and treatment will be performed by a specialist in clinical nursing. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline if you are in a crisis. If you're already being assisted by mental health services it's a good idea to call your usual team first, unless it's outside of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary mental health teams in the community that are linked to primary care networks. These teams will enhance the quality of mental health care that is provided to those who are in a crisis, and provide support to those within their communities and at home rather than in hospitals.
The plan also aimed to help make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and allowing more beds. It would also introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that every ambulance has an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure people suffering from mental health issues are supported in emergency situations.
Treatment options
The NHS offers a variety of treatment options for people suffering from mental health problems. GPs typically have the ability to treat minor illnesses, however more serious illnesses will require an expert team. These teams operate in primary and community mental healthcare services as well as psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek help in a secure environment when you are in a crisis.
Talking therapies are among the most commonly used forms of treatment for depression and anxiety. Formerly known as IAPT, these programs have seen referral numbers increase every year since they were introduced in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding these programs to ensure that 1.9 million people will be able to use them by 2023/2024.
The use of psychiatric medication is also an important part of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way that chemicals function in your brain. They can also be used to minimize the adverse effects of other treatments. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you.
A wide variety of talking therapy options are offered which include group therapy as well as individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer face-to-face treatment, but it is an individual choice. There are a variety of charities that provide support groups and classes, such as Mind. private mental health inpatient is full of information that is trustworthy however, be aware of the fact that there are a lot of false or misleading statements that are posted on the internet about mental health issues.
While the NHS is advancing its mental health services but it's still struggling to cope with demand. In the UK there are 54 mental trusts. The majority of them receive funding for their services from the clinical commissioning groups. They typically are located in a particular region however they can also be contracted to provide national services.
One of the main issues is the lack of resources to meet the growing demand. There are concerns over the quality and shortage of nurses and psychiatrists. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by providing more training and developing new ways of working. It also provides more secure and efficient methods to treat people who are in crisis. These include mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.
Supporting you
Since the NHS was first introduced 70 years ago, there have been positive changes for those with mental health issues. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. However, there is still much to be done.
People who are suffering from a mental health crisis must be able to access the assistance they require quickly and easily. That's why the NHS is striving to improve the services available to those who require them. By 2020/21, we will make sure that all acute hospitals have a mental-health liaison service, both in A&E and on wards for inpatients and that 70% of them will be in compliance with the core 24 standard by 2023/24. Then we will strive for 100% coverage.
We will also expand services for those who require them in the community, including 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 our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) to ensure that more people with mental health problems can be seen quicker by therapists who are qualified.
The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with mental health issues. Samaritans Mind and Rethink are some of the helplines available. These helplines are run by trained volunteers and provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to manage your mental health concerns.
There are a variety of local organizations that can offer support and guidance to people with mental health issues. They can provide 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 method.
For students, there is the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those who feel low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers private listening assistance, information and support from knowledgeable volunteers. Charities such as Mind and Rethink can provide an abundance of information and assistance, both on the internet and in local groups. They offer a variety of classes and activities, including mindfulness classes to art classes, which can be beneficial for those suffering from mental health issues.
Making a referral
With mental health services under pressure, doctors are forced to make difficult choices about which specialist services they can refer patients to. The GP will take a patient's medical history into account and then recommend them to a service they believe will be able to help. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust, or an independent provider.
A mental health professional will examine the referral to determine if it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will contact the GP and explain the reasons. They could request the GP to change the referral or request additional details.
Requests for 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 pre-mental health clinical assessment service or directly to an outpatient appointment. However, not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for every kind of mental health referral.
A doctor may also refer patients to a community mental health specialist service (CMT). They are typically run by an enormous hospital or a local healthcare organization. CMTs are a good choice for those who require to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist but do not require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with the therapist to help a person overcome a crisis or increase their quality of life.
CMTs are faced with the task of ensuring that all referrals are made within a reasonable time. Many referrals are considered urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in a crisis to be overworked and experience delays.
To combat this problem, some CMHTs have attempted to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This is being achieved by using an established referral form that requires the referrer to consider whether the case is urgent. The form includes a box that the referrer is able to tick when the referral is urgent.