Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective care.

NHS England works collaboratively with education providers in commissioning education and training opportunities in response to service demand.

Clinical staff working both within children and young people’s mental health inpatient and community services are able to access Workforce Training and Education commissioned psychological interventions training. Training for eating disorders is provided as a core element of training delivered to children and young people mental health staff, and is threaded throughout the curricula, for example Inpatient Whole Team Training.

NHS England also works closely with training providers and internal and external stakeholders to support effective communication and continuous improvement.

NHS England has recently updated guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, strengthening early identification, and ensuring care is joined up across schools, primary care, and specialist services, with faster access to treatment where an eating disorder is suspected.

NHS England expects to publish the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework shortly. The mental health personalised care framework sets out the approach and related principles and actions for delivering personalised care for adults and older people with severe mental health problems.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has established 15 Adult Eating Disorder Provider Collaboratives across England to oversee specialised adult eating disorder services. In addition to delivering inpatient care, these collaboratives are supporting the development of intensive community and day treatment models, helping more people receive care closer to home where clinically appropriate, reducing reliance on inpatient admission and geographical variation, while implementing improved processes supporting earlier discharge from hospital.

NHS England has also published guidance for commissioners and providers on adult eating disorders across community, inpatient, and intensive day-patient care, to support local systems in developing coherent pathways across different levels of treatment intensity.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning appropriate community and outpatient provision for their populations, while specialised provision supports those adults whose needs require a higher level of intensity, medical monitoring, or specialist intervention.

The following table shows the amount and proportion of National Health Service mental health funding, as well as the total mental health spend, that was allocated to specialist eating disorder services from 2022/23 to 2024/25:

The eating disorder spend figures shown are based on categories of spend reported by integrated care boards for Children and Young People’s Eating Disorders and Specialised Adult Eating Disorders services.

These figures may not capture all spending on eating disorder services, as some expenditure may be recorded within other mental health categories where spending lines have been consolidated and cannot be separately identified.

The total mental health spend figures are based on published written ministerial statement data. Comparable figures for earlier years would require additional analysis. Data for 2025/26 has not been included as it remains subject to audit.

NHS England is supporting earlier identification and intervention for adults with eating disorders by embedding timely, community-based treatment within the national service model. Alongside this, provider collaboratives are redesigning pathways to move away from reliance on crisis-driven inpatient care.

The Government is also clear that adults should be able to access specialist support sooner and closer to home, particularly through community and outpatient services. In line with this goal, the Severe Mental Illness Modern Service Framework will set consistency in quality standards across the country so that patients and families get the best quality, evidence-based treatment and support.

NHS England has recently updated guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, strengthening early identification and ensuring care is joined up across schools, primary care, and specialist services, with faster access to treatment where an eating disorder is suspected.

NHS England expects to publish the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework shortly. The mental health personalised care framework sets out the approach and related principles and actions for delivering personalised care for adults and older people with severe mental health problems.

In addition, a modern service framework for severe mental illness, including eating disorders, is being developed to improve the quality and consistency of care across the whole pathway.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has established 15 Adult Eating Disorder Provider Collaboratives across England to oversee specialised adult eating disorder services. In addition to delivering inpatient care, these collaboratives are supporting the development of intensive community and day treatment models, helping more people receive care closer to home where clinically appropriate and reducing reliance on inpatient admission and geographical variation, while implementing improved processes supporting earlier discharge from hospital.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including eating disorders.

Through the NIHR, the Department jointly funds the Eating Disorders Clinical Research Network, an initiative to build a coordinated, United Kingdom wide research infrastructure that strengthens evidence, improves care, and accelerates high‑quality studies across eating‑disorder services. Other projects recently funded by the NIHR include an investigation into how restrictive practices are used in the care of children and young people with eating disorders, with a focus on co‑produced solutions to reduce their use and improve patient experience.

NHS England is supporting continuity of care for people with eating disorders by setting a community‑based, pathway‑led service model that spans primary care, community mental health services, specialist eating disorder teams and, where clinically necessary, inpatient care. The Adult Eating Disorders: Community, Inpatient and Intensive Day Patient Care – Guidance for commissioners and providers (2019) emphasises integrated pathways and continuity as people move between services, rather than stand‑alone episodes of treatment. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/adult-eating-disorders-community-inpatient-and-intensive-day-patient-care-guidance-for-commissioners-and-providers/

In January 2026, NHS England published long-awaited updated commissioning guidance for children and young people eating disorder services. The guidance takes a whole-pathway approach, prioritising community-based care, earlier identification and intervention, and better integration with schools, colleges, and primary care. Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning appropriate community and outpatient provision for their populations.

In addition, the Severe Mental Illness Modern Service Framework aims to set expectations for how local systems organise, prioritise and deliver joined‑up, high-quality care for people with a severe mental illness, including people with eating disorders.

The South West London Integrated Care Board commissions adult eating disorder services for the Battersea and wider South West London population through the South London Partnership, which brings together the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and the South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust to deliver a coordinated model of care.

The service includes inpatient, day patient, intensive outpatient, and outpatient provision.

Inpatient care is provided across two wards for the South London population, including 18 allocated beds, nine of which are at Springfield University Hospital’s Avalon Ward in Wandsworth. These services support adults with the most severe and complex eating disorders and are delivered by a multidisciplinary team.

For those requiring intensive support without admission, the Eating Disorders Day Unit at Springfield University Hospital provides a structured weekday programme combining therapeutic eating, psychological therapies, and rehabilitation as an alternative to inpatient care.

Community and outpatient services support early intervention, treatment, and recovery, including the Eating Disorders Outpatient Service, alongside enhanced outreach through the Enhanced Treatment Team and early intervention via the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders pathway.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that adults with eating disorders can access timely, evidence-based care in the setting most appropriate to their needs.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on eating disorders sets out clear, evidence-based approaches to assessment, treatment, and inpatient care for adults. In practice, this care is delivered across a range of settings, including community and outpatient services, which provide assessment, psychological therapies, and ongoing support.

NHS England’s specialised adult eating disorder service specification supports a flexible approach to treatment to match clinical presentation, including intensive day-patient provision such as medical monitoring, evidence-based psychological interventions, and dietetic support, as well as inpatient care where a higher level of intervention is required.

Responsibility for delivery is shared across the system, as integrated care boards assess local need and commission appropriate community and outpatient services for their populations, while NHS England provides national guidance to support commissioners and providers in developing coherent pathways across different levels of treatment intensity.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, young people access specialist eating disorder services at Ancora House. A clinical assessment will determine which level of care they require to meet their needs.

Adult patients in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough access specialist eating disorder services through a specialist community eating disorders service (CEDS). This is accessed by referral by general practitioner or other health professional.

If the CEDS assess the patient as requiring specialist inpatient care, the patient will be referred into the Oaktrees Specialist Eating Disorders Unit where a multidisciplinary team of clinicians assess suitability for admission.

We do hold this data, however as it is below five at the current time we cannot provide an exact value. This is standard statistical disclosure control guidance, where counts of less than five are suppressed to stop individuals being identified.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably.

The services offered to young people, those aged 13 to 18 years old, with an eating disorder are monitored for safety, quality, and performance by the Lead Provider Collaborative (LPC) Commissioning Team. A team of clinicians within the LPC work with the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and people with lived experience of eating disorder services to ensure they meet required quality, performance, and patient/carer standards.

NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s eating disorders, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder (ED) services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably.

Young people, between 13 and 18 years old, from Ellesmere Port and Bromborough access specialist ED care at Ancora House, the specialist General Adolescent Unit for Young Peoples mental health Services in Cheshire and Merseyside. There is a Day Hospital provision called Sapphire which offers a range of therapeutic interventions for young people with an ED. Care is also provided from the Cheshire and Merseyside Eating Disorder Service who are based at Ancora House. If specialist inpatient care is required, there are four dedicated beds at Ancora house, co-located with the ED Day Hospital.

Adults with an ED from the Ellesmere Port and Bromborough area are supported in the specialist Community Eating Disorders service. If specialist inpatient care is required, patients receive this at the Oaktrees Specialist Eating Disorders Unit on the Clatterbridge Health Park.

NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s EDs, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Surrey Heath.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably.

More widely, through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are transforming mental health services. Since July 2024, over 8,000 additional mental health workers have been recruited towards our target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament. We are also reaching nearly one million more children and young people by expanding Mental Health Support Teams in schools. In addition, we are investing £13 million to pilot enhanced training for Mental Health Support Team staff, enabling them to provide more tailored support to young people with complex needs, including trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating.

NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s eating disorders, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that have enduring physical and psychological impacts. This is compounded by known difficulties accessing timely, consistent, and appropriate care across the system. The Government has set out its long-term approach to mental health reform as part of the 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service. This plan is built around three key shifts, from hospital to community, from sickness to prevention, and from analogue to digital, all of which are essential to improving care for those with eating disorders.

In January, NHS England published long-awaited updated commissioning guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services. The guidance takes a whole-pathway approach, prioritising community-based care, earlier identification and intervention, and better integration with schools, colleges, and primary care.

Specialised adult eating disorder inpatient services are not commissioned based on fixed thresholds. Admission decisions are made by multidisciplinary clinical teams following a comprehensive assessment of clinical risk, including physical health, psychiatric presentation, rate of deterioration, and wider social factors. Body mass index may inform clinical assessment but is not used in isolation to determine access to inpatient care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) commission services across the full pathway, including both adult and children and young people’s provision. This enables resources to be allocated at a system level based on population need, with specialised inpatient services forming part of a broader continuum of care.

Where individuals are not admitted to specialised inpatient services, responsibility for ongoing care and risk management remains with local clinical teams under ICB commissioning arrangements. Safeguarding is managed through established NHS and statutory multi-agency frameworks, ensuring that individuals at risk continue to receive appropriate oversight and support.

Specialised inpatient services operate as part of an integrated system, with NHS Led Provider Collaboratives supporting coordinated care and clinically led decision-making based on individual need.