Latest news with #selfreferral
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Expectant mothers encouraged to use 'vital' NHS service
Thousands of expectant mothers in the East of England have taken up a new NHS service and more are being encouraged to take across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and elsewhere have been using the service, where they can refer themselves directly to their local maternity services - without the need to first see a GP - by completing an online Matthews, NHS England's chief midwife for the region, said the referral system was a "leap forward in helping women have more control" through their Sutton, from March, Cambridgeshire, who has used the system, said she found it to be "a really simple process". The self-referral system was first rolled out in March and three quarters of NHS trusts in England are now connected. In the East of England, 1,704 referrals have been made to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, with a further 1,256 made to North West Anglia NHS Foundation University Hospitals NHS Trust has had 1,218 referrals. 'Straightforward and reassuring' It is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs - and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each on her experience of the service, Ms Sutton added: "Once I had completed the form, I got a call within 48 hours from the community midwife about booking my appointment... it was really straightforward and reassuring to get the first appointment quickly."First appointments provide an opportunity for women to discuss their pregnancy - and arrange early screening tests which can identify high-risk Matthews said: "GPs will always be available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy that they need to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, or who don't have access to smartphones. "However, GP teams don't need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they're pregnant, so this quick and easy tool is also helping ease pressure on GP practice teams and freeing up time for other patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Government announces plans to put ‘digital front doors' on mental health care
Mental health patients will be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App under new plans. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the Government is 'putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country'. The Government also confirmed that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. It comes as new figures suggest mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are on the rise in England. Plans to build dedicated emergency departments for mental health patients were announced last month. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Elsewhere, patients will be offered better access to mental health support through the NHS App, including being able to self-refer for talking therapies without the need to see their family doctor. The measures form part of the Government's 10 Year Plan and could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department. Mr Streeting said: 'Not getting the right support for your mental health isn't just debilitating, it can hit a painful pause button on your life – stopping you working, enjoying time with family and friends, or living day-to-day life. 'Patients have faced the crisis of access to mental health services for far too long, and this Government is determined to change that through our Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS. 'That's why we're putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country and harnessing technology to provide 24-hour care. And we're creating more opportunities for support not just through the NHS App but through care in your community too. 'We are already over halfway towards our target of recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers, and through our upcoming 10 Year Health Plan we will get more people back to health and back to work.' It comes as the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey suggested more than one in five people aged 16 to 74 had reported so-called 'common mental health conditions'. These include generalised anxiety disorder, depressive episodes, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder. These problems were most common among young people, with more than a quarter of those aged 16 to 24 reporting having any of these conditions, up from 17.5% in 2007. There was also a sharp increase in the number of women aged 16 to 24 reporting the conditions, with 36.1% saying they had any one of the issues listed, up from 28.2% in 2014 and 22.2% in 2007. Meanwhile, the survey found the number of 16 to 74-year-olds with common mental health conditions who reported having treatment rose from 39.4% in 2014 to 47.7% in 2023/24. Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: 'Digital technologies can make it easier for people with mental illness to access care. 'While people have long been able to self-refer to talking therapies, providing access through the NHS App will make this more accessible. 'There are many evidence-based digital interventions which can support people with mental ill-health; however, a lack of investment has stalled their progress. 'The Government must also invest in the necessary technological infrastructure for mental health organisations and their staff, to allow access to digital interventions.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
27-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Government announces plans to put ‘digital front doors' on mental health care
Mental health patients will be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App under new plans. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the Government is 'putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country'. The Government also confirmed that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. It comes as new figures suggest mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are on the rise in England. Plans to build dedicated emergency departments for mental health patients were announced last month. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Elsewhere, patients will be offered better access to mental health support through the NHS App, including being able to self-refer for talking therapies without the need to see their family doctor. The measures form part of the Government's 10 Year Plan and could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department. Mr Streeting said: 'Not getting the right support for your mental health isn't just debilitating, it can hit a painful pause button on your life – stopping you working, enjoying time with family and friends, or living day-to-day life. 'Patients have faced the crisis of access to mental health services for far too long, and this Government is determined to change that through our Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS. 'That's why we're putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country and harnessing technology to provide 24-hour care. And we're creating more opportunities for support not just through the NHS App but through care in your community too. 'We are already over halfway towards our target of recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers, and through our upcoming 10 Year Health Plan we will get more people back to health and back to work.' It comes as the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey suggested more than one in five people aged 16 to 74 had reported so-called 'common mental health conditions'. These include generalised anxiety disorder, depressive episodes, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder. These problems were most common among young people, with more than a quarter of those aged 16 to 24 reporting having any of these conditions, up from 17.5% in 2007. There was also a sharp increase in the number of women aged 16 to 24 reporting the conditions, with 36.1% saying they had any one of the issues listed, up from 28.2% in 2014 and 22.2% in 2007. Meanwhile, the survey found the number of 16 to 74-year-olds with common mental health conditions who reported having treatment rose from 39.4% in 2014 to 47.7% in 2023/24. Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: 'Digital technologies can make it easier for people with mental illness to access care. 'While people have long been able to self-refer to talking therapies, providing access through the NHS App will make this more accessible. 'There are many evidence-based digital interventions which can support people with mental ill-health; however, a lack of investment has stalled their progress. 'The Government must also invest in the necessary technological infrastructure for mental health organisations and their staff, to allow access to digital interventions.'
