Nhs Mental Health Services: Emails From Nhs Choices

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You can be seen bya nurse, social worker, psychologist, specialist pharmacist,psychiatrist or a combination of these and identical professionals.

Now look, the purpose of an assessment is to build up an accurate picture of your needs.Different professionals and agencies provide a range of services, that meansyour initial assessment may involveoneor moreprofessionals. Wherever you take help, you will get a detailed assessment. Rethink also offers an online directory for advocacy services in England on their website. Alternatively,check with your local council who your advocacy provider is. Actually, advocates can be volunteers, just like mental health charity workers, or professionals, like lawyers. Basically, you can always arrange to bring a friend or relative to a review for support. Yes, that’s right! People prefer to bring an advocate to their review.

Your care co ordinator likely to tell you what advocacy services are available in your local area. Therefore an advocate is someone who will represent your views and interests in the course of the review process. Sometimes you may feel that your local mental health service isn’t specialised enough to give a diagnosisor effective treatment for your condition, and you may need an expert to provide this instead. Then again, this can be a nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist, or an employment specialist. So it’s important your treatment is reviewed on a regular basis, your personal needs may change over time. You will always be allocated a named person as your care co ordinator. So in case you are not ready to discuss don’t want to, it helps to be frank and open. Actually, you can always bring a friend or family member to an appointment to support you.

You only have to talk about what you need to talk about. You can alsoask the mental health professional,your GP oryour care co ordinator if they can arrangefor a second opinion for you.Local voluntary groups and charities like MIND or Rethinkoffer additional advice. Specialist services are usually focused on one condition or problem, particularly where that condition is complex or severe. Of course, you can ask for a specialist second opinion on the NHS. Others don’t and a specialist would then have to be found elsewhere, some mental health trusts do offer specialist services. Now pay attention please. Now look, the outcome of the assessment may be discussed with you.

As a rule of a thumb, also be involved in thedecision making about what treatments are best for you, and youshould alsobe given information you can take home,as well astipsfor additional research. You’d better have the opportunity to ask any questions about your condition,the diagnosis, possible causes,anytreatments on offer, and how those may impact on your life.

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Some specialist services are specially funded for such referrals -they usually have information on their websites about this. Alternatively, your GPcan arrange this,but they may have to contact yourlocal clinical commissioning group, that will therefore decide whether they willpay for an independent opinion. Eventually, let the health professional explain it to you until you are sure you understand it If you feel that the treatment or mental health service was not working for you, as a rule of a thumb, say something. That said, make look for to discuss and tick any point off during your appointment, before your appointment. So do not be afraid to ask questions about things you find unclear. It should be that another approachora new assessmentis necessary in order to find a more suitable service for you. Essentially, talk to the mental health professional you are seeing about your concerns. Determined by who your local authority has contracted, advocacy services are supplied by different service providers.

Alternatively, you could ask an advocate to you need to contact your local authority if you wish to know who your advocacy provider is.

Yourcouncil could be able to if you are not sure about a diagnosis or treatment suggested to you. That’s right! Find contact details for your local NHS trust. Then, most NHS trusts have arrangements in place for second opinion requests and, where possible,will work with youso you cansee anothermental health professional. Your review must take place in a familiar place. It might be possible for it take placeat your house or in a neutral place, similar to a community centre. Often it’s the clinic, community mental health centre or GP surgerywhere you meet your care ‘co ordinator’ regularly. Including circumstances where you are not in agreement with how your GP or current mental health team have responded to the recommendations of a second opinion, you can file an official complaint using the NHS complaints procedure, Therefore if you are not happy with any side of your care.

Your care ‘coordinator’ must ensureyouhave regular reviews, and may be your first point of contact if you have concerns. Your care coordinator will also similar to. Now this shouldn’t stop you asking for one if you feelstrongly about it, getting a second opinion going to be a difficult step that takes time. Ask again, if your GP disagrees or refuses to pass on your request. Clinical commissioning groups are in charge of thefunding for your local NHS and decide where the moneyshould bespent. You could contact the CCGdirectly, I’d say in case your GP tells you that your request had been refused as long as the CCG ain’t funding it. Normally, they will give you advice on what steps to take next. Or the mental health service refuses to offer a second opinion or a change of health professional, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service, I’d say in case your doctorrefuses to pass on your request.