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14 Misconceptions Commonly Held 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 providing services. This includes:

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

Get help

One out of four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point during their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to seek help, and most people recover after a while. It is crucial to know what assistance is available and who can provide it.

You can seek assistance from a variety places, including your GP (primary medical doctor who treats patients), your local health center or a community mental health team. These teams consist of occupational and nurse psychotherapists and speech therapists. They work with clients who seek their services. Based on the type of help you require you might be provided with individual or group therapy.

Your GP will usually require you to fill out a form to refer you to a community mental health team. They will also talk to you about the kind of help you require. You will then be examined by a member of the mental health team, which could include a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. In certain instances the assessment and treatment will be performed by a clinical nurse specialist. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can call the NHS 111 helpline for urgent support. If you're already supported by mental health services it's a good idea to contact your regular team first, unless it's out of normal hours, on 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. They will improve the quality of care provided to those experiencing an illness of mental health and offer assistance within their communities and homes, rather than in hospital.

The plan also aims at making crisis services accessible by decreasing waiting times and opening more beds. It also proposes the mental transport vehicle and ensure that all ambulances are equipped with a mental liaison nurse in the control room to ensure that patients who are suffering from mental illness are helped in times of crisis.

Treatment options

The NHS offers a wide array of treatment options for mental health conditions. Disorders that are less severe are usually treated by GPs and more serious disorders require a specialist team. These teams operate across both community and primary mental health services as well as mental health hospitals. There are also safe places where you can get help for those who are in crisis.

Talking mental health diagnostic assessment for anxiety and depression are among the most popular types of treatment. Previously referred to as IAPT the programs have seen the number of people who seek them increase each year since their launch in 2008. The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding these programs to 1.9 million people by 2023/2024.

Psychiatric medicines are another important part of treatment. They can alleviate symptoms by altering the way the brain's chemicals function. They can also help lessen the negative effects of other treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the best medicine for you.

There are many kinds of talk therapies, such as group therapy and individual therapy. Some of these can be delivered in person, while others are available online. Some patients prefer treatment in person, but that is a personal decision. There are also a lot of charities that provide classes and support groups, such as Mind. The website contains a wealth of information that is trustworthy however, be aware of the fact that there are numerous false or misleading claims on the internet concerning mental health issues.

The NHS is working to improve mental health care but it struggles to meet the demands. There are 54 mental health trusts across the UK, and most of them receive funding from clinical commissioning organizations to deliver their services. They are typically located in a particular region however, they can also be commissioned to deliver national services.

The lack of resources is a major problem. There are concerns about the quality of care and the shortage of psychiatrists and nurses. The NHS is working to improve the quality of care by delivering more training and developing new ways of working. It also introduces safer and more effective ways to assist people in need like mobile crisis teams, as well as safe areas.

Supporting you

Since the NHS launched 70 years ago there have been a lot of positive developments for those suffering from mental health issues. Treatment options have expanded and social barriers are being broken down. But there's still a lot to do.

People who are in a mental crisis need to get the help they need quickly and easily. The NHS is working to improve its services so that people in need receive assistance. We will ensure that every acute hospital does not have a mental health liaison in A&E departments and wards for inpatients by 2020/21. 70 percent of these services will meet the "core 24" standard by 2023/24, working towards a 100% coverage rate after that.

We will also increase community services, including talk therapy, to offer assistance to hundreds of thousands of people suffering from mental health problems regardless of whether they are common or severe. We will continue to develop our national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) to ensure that more people suffering from mental health issues can be seen quicker by qualified therapists.

mental health checkup offers confidential, no-cost assistance to anyone suffering from mental health issues. These include the Samaritans, Mind and Rethink. These helplines are run by trained volunteers. They provide a safe space to talk or provide advice and information on how to deal with your mental health issues.

There are a variety of local organisations that can provide help and advice to those who suffer from mental health issues. They can provide self-help guides, coping strategies and activities to try. A lot of these organizations provide support groups in person for those who prefer this option.

The University's Open Door Team offers a drop-in counseling service for students who are struggling or stressed. There is also the Nightline student counselling service that provides confidential listening and support from skilled volunteers, or details on other services. Charities like Mind and Rethink can provide a wealth of information and support, both on the internet and in local groups. They also offer various courses and activities, 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 strain and GPs must make difficult choices regarding the best specialist services to refer their patients to. The GP will look at the medical history of the patient and recommend them to services they believe will be able help. They can refer a patient to an NHS trust or an independent provider.

A mental health specialist will assess the referral to determine if it is appropriate or not. If the specialist isn't happy with the referral they will contact the GP to discuss their decision and provide why. They can also ask the GP for more details or to change the referral.

Referrals to a local Community Mental Health Team can be made through the NHS e-Referral Service. The system allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to send patients to either an initial clinical assessment service for mental health or directly to an appointment. Not all CMHTs provide both options, and the system cannot be used for all kinds of mental health referrals.

A GP may refer a patient to a mental health specialist in the community service (CMT). They are typically operated by a large local health organization or a hospital. CMTs are a great alternative for those looking to consult a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist but don't require inpatient care. They can also offer an early intervention service in which a psychiatrist works with a therapist in order to assist someone in overcoming a crisis or improve the quality of their lives.


One of the challenges that a CMT is to ensure that all suitable referrals are made within the proper time frame. Many referrals are deemed urgent, even though they might not be. This can lead people who aren't in crisis to be overwhelmed and suffer delays.

To address this issue certain CMHTs are working to establish more uniform standards for what is an urgent referral. This has been achieved by using the standardised referral forma that requires a referrer decide if the situation is urgent. The form has a checkbox that the referrer is able to tick if the request is urgent.

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