The Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned that services are unable to cope with the increase in referrals of children and young people with eating disorders – including in London [1].
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman has warned that people across the UK with eating disorders are being “repeatedly failed by the system” [2].
Evidence has shown the importance of early intervention for people with eating disorders, yet national eating disorder charity Beat suggests that people with an eating disorder do not always receive the support they need when first contacting healthcare professionals [3].
The NHS defines an eating disorder as “a mental health condition where people use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations”. Eating disorders may involve someone either eating too much or too little or worrying about their weight or body shape.
NHS eating disorder services offer a range of treatment options, depending on the symptoms that patients present with. Care may involve monitoring of weight, mental and physical health, eating disorder focussed cognitive behavioural therapy and/or dietary counselling.
For the second of two meetings on eating disorders, the London Assembly Health Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss people’s access to, experiences of and outcomes from eating disorder services in London.
The guests are:
- Emma Christie, Head of Mental Health, NHS London
- Dr Brian Sreenan, Consultant Psychological Lead for Disordered Eating, NHS East London Foundation Trust
- Dr Agnes Ayton, Consultant Psychiatrist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Vice Chair, Eating Disorders Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Dr Ashish Kumar, Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and Chair, Eating Disorders Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Dr Victoria Chapman, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Royal Free CAMHS
- Jess Griffiths, National FREED Co-lead, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Eating disorders therapist and person with lived experience
The meeting will take place on Thursday 21 September from 3:15pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
Follow us @LondonAssembly.
Notes to editors
- Royal Society of Psychiatrists, Children and young people with eating disorders face treatment postcode lottery
- Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, Urgent action needed to prevent eating disorder deaths
- Beat, Experiences of people with eating disorders seeking help from Healthcare Professionals
- Full agenda papers.
- Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Health Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more details, please contact Emma Bowden in the Assembly Media Office on 07849 303897. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.