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Written question asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour) on Thursday, 14 December 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 January 2018. It was answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy (Conservative) on Thursday, 21 December 2017 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Eating Disorders

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the conclusions of the report of the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, Ignoring the alarms: how NHS eating disorder services are failing patients (HC 634), published on 6 December, whether they have any plans to increase funding to eating disorder services in the NHS.

Answer

The Department recognises that funding for eating disorder service provision needed to be improved and, since 2013, the Government has embarked on a major programme to improve eating disorders services.

The Government published the first national policy framework on learning from deaths for the National Health Service in March 2017. We now expect trusts, including mental health Trusts, to have proper arrangements for learning from deaths of patients in their care.

For children and young people aged between eight and 18 years, the Government is investing £150 million to expand eating disorder services – with 70 new or enhanced services already in place. The Government’s aim is for the NHS to meet the Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder by 2020/21 so that 95% of children with an eating disorder will receive treatment within one week for urgent cases and within four weeks for routine cases.

For adults, NHS England is conducting a baseline audit to measure existing levels of investment, capacity and activity across inpatient and community services for adults with eating disorders.

NHS England will develop evidence based treatment pathways across mental health services over the next five years in line with the recommendations of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. NHS England is working with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) to ensure that each pathway is fully informed by the available evidence and the views of experts by experience.

The NCCMH is developing a pathway for adults with eating disorders, together with detailed implementation guidance for providers. This work will complete in 2018.

NICE published its updated clinical guideline on managing and treating eating disorders, including adults, children and young people, Eating Disorders: recognition and treatment, in May 2017. A copy is attached.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL4187
Session
2017-19
Attachment
Eating disorders; recognition and treatment
Related items
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Finance Mental health services Eating disorders
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk