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An Easy-To-Follow Guide To Mental Health Services NHS
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 boost investment in mental healthcare services faster than overall NHS budget. This includes the work of a specialist in suicide prevention.

Get assistance

One of four of us will suffer from mental health issues at some moment in our lives. The good news is there are many avenues to seek assistance, and the majority of us will be able to recover with time. It is important to know what assistance is available and who can offer it.

You can seek help from a variety of sources such as your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients), your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams comprise of nurses, occupational and psychotherapists, as well as speech therapists. They work with people who use their services. Based on the type of help you need, you may be offered individual or group therapy.

You will be asked to complete a form with your GP so they can refer you to a mental health professional in the community. They will also ask you what you require in terms of support. You will be consulted by an individual from an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. In some instances your evaluation and treatment will be conducted by a nurse specialist. You can contact the NHS 111 helpline when you're in crisis. If you're already being supported by mental health services it's a good idea to contact your regular team first unless it's out of the normal hours, a weekend or a bank holiday.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health detailed plans to create multidisciplinary, community-based mental health teams that are linked to primary care networks. These will help to improve the quality of care that is provided to those experiencing a mental health crisis and provide support in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital.

The plan also aimed to make crisis services more accessible by reducing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposed to introduce mental health transport vehicles and make sure that all ambulances have an official who is a mental health liaison in their control rooms to ensure that those suffering from an illness of mental health are supported in emergency situations.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a range of treatment options for mental health issues. Less severe disorders are often treated by GPs and more serious disorders require specialists. These teams work in primary and community mental healthcare services and psychiatric hospitals. You can also seek assistance in a secure space if you feel in crisis.

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

Psychiatric medications are also an important element of treatment. They can help alleviate symptoms by altering the way chemicals work in your brain. They can also be used to reduce the effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.


A variety of talk therapy treatments are available, including group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, whereas others can be delivered online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal choice. There are a variety of charities which offer classes and support groups like Mind. Their website has a lot of reliable information, but you should be aware of the fact that there's a lot of inaccurate or misleading information available on the internet regarding mental health issues.

While the NHS is advancing its mental health care but it's still struggling to keep up with demand. There are 54 mental health trusts in the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning groups to deliver their services. They typically are located in a particular region, but they can be commissioned to provide national services.

The absence of resources is a major issue. 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 working and offering more training. It is also introducing more efficient and safer methods to help people in crisis including mobile crisis teams and secure spaces.

We are here to help you

Since the NHS was established 70 years ago, there have been many positive developments for those suffering from mental health problems. Treatment options have increased and social barriers are being taken down. But there is more to be done.

Info experiencing mental health problems require the ability to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve services so that people in need receive help. We will ensure that no acute hospital is without a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for patients by 2020/21. 70% of these services will be in line with the 'core 24' standard by 2023/24, working towards a 100% coverage rate after that.

We will also expand community services, including talking therapy, in order to provide support for hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions, whether they are serious 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 problems are seen faster by therapists who are qualified.

The NHS offers free, confidential helplines for anyone who is struggling with a mental health issue. These include the Samaritans and Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide the opportunity to talk with someone in a secure environment, or offer guidance and information on how to tackle your mental health issues.

There are a variety of local organizations that provide help and advice to those suffering from mental health issues. Self-help guides, coping methods and other activities are available. Many of these organizations provide support groups in person for those who prefer it.

For students, there's the University's Open Door Team which offers the opportunity to visit a counselling center for those feeling low or stressed. Nightline is a student counselling service that offers confidential listening assistance, information and support from experienced volunteers. Charities like Mind and Rethink are a great source of information and can provide support in a variety of ways, including online and through local groups. They also provide a variety of courses and activities, from mindfulness to art classes that could be beneficial for people who suffer from mental health problems.

Referrals

Mental health services are under strain and GPs are forced to make difficult decisions about 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 will be able to help. They can refer a patient either to an NHS trust, or to an independent provider.

A mental health professional will then review the referral and decide whether it's appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral, they will call the GP and explain why. They may also ask the GP to alter the referral or request more details.

The ability to refer patients to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made via the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows GPs and other health professionals to refer people to either a mental health assessment or directly to an outpatient appointment. Not all CMHTs offer both options, and the system cannot 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). They are usually managed by a large hospital or local healthcare organisation. CMTs are a great option for people who wish to see an experienced psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also provide an early intervention service where a psychiatrist will work with an counselor to help someone overcome a crisis or improve their life quality.

CMTs have the responsibility of ensuring that all referrals are received within a reasonable amount of time. One of the issues is that a large number of referrals are deemed as urgent, even though they may not be. This can cause people who aren't in crisis to be rushed and suffer delays.

To tackle this issue, a few CMHTs have tried to establish more uniform guidelines for what constitutes a referral urgent. This was achieved by using an established form that asks the referrer if they believe the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer can tick in the event that they believe that the referral is urgent.

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