Announcements
NHS 111 - Mental Health Option
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing a mental health crisis in North Yorkshire, York and Selby, they can access urgent support 24/7 by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option.
Local crisis teams are not changing and the service is still provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust in our region. It is just a new telephone number to call – making it simpler for people to find the right support in a mental health crisis.
To help you get the support you need, you will speak to a mental health advisor who will ask you some questions and listen to you. They can offer self-care advice over the phone, transfer you to the crisis service if needed or refer you to other local services.
You can call for yourself, or someone else. NHS 111 is for all ages, including children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs.
If you are deaf or have hearing loss please use NHS 111 SignVideo or the 18001 111 Relay UK app.
If a person’s mental or emotional state gets worse quickly, this can be referred to as a mental health crisis or a mental health emergency. If this happens, it is important to get help quickly.
A mental health crisis can mean different things to different people, but often means that you no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation. It can cause a significant disruption to your life and your ability to function.
You should call NHS 111 and select the mental health option if you are worried about:
- thoughts about your life not being worth living or about harming yourself
- feeling out of control or unable to cope
- feeling anxious about leaving the house
- hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t
If you or someone else have physically harmed themselves, or if their life is at risk, then you should still call 999 or go to A&E.
Find out more about NHS 111 select mental health option
Published on 13th Aug 2024
Fear of Flying Practice Position
In response to a medical safety advisory from aviation-trained physicians, we have made the decision to stop prescribing sedative medications, such as Diazepam and Zopiclone, which are sometimes used to address fear of flying. There are several reasons behind this decision:
- Both Diazepam and Zopiclone act as sedatives, inducing relaxation and drowsiness. However, in the event of an emergency during flight, this could impede your ability to concentrate, follow instructions, and respond appropriately. Such impairment poses not only personal risks but also could jeopardise the safety of fellow passengers.
- Sedative drugs may lead to an unnatural non-REM sleep pattern, reducing movement and increasing the risk of developing blood clots, particularly deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism, especially on flights exceeding four hours in duration. Blood clots present severe health hazards and can be fatal.
- While most individuals experience sedation with Diazepam, some people may exhibit agitation and aggression. These medications can induce disinhibition, prompting behaviour outside one's normal demeanour, potentially endangering personal safety and leading to legal repercussions. This can be similar to alcohol-induced incidents, resulting in flight removal or legal issues.
- The British National Formulary (BNF), the prescribing guidelines doctors follow in the UK, explicitly prohibits the use of benzodiazepines for treating phobias. Prescribing against these guidelines poses legal risks for healthcare providers.
- Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in several countries, subjecting travellers to potential confiscation or legal consequences.
In light of these considerations and to prioritise passenger safety and well-being, as a practice we are opting for alternative approaches to address fear of flying that do not compromise aviation safety or legal compliance. This is the same for many GP surgeries.
We appreciate that this is a very real and frightening problem for some people. We recommend that you tackle the problem with a Fear of Flying Course, which is run by several airlines.
British Airways: Flying with Confidence | Special assistance | British Airways
Virgin: How to cope with a fear of flying | Virgin
EasyJet: Courses | Fearless Flyer (easyjet.com)
Published on 16th Jul 2024
Mole Check
Published on 3rd Jun 2024