26 people with eating disorders had to leave Northern Ireland for specialist treatment

A health charity has said 26 people with eating disorders had to leave Northern Ireland for specialist hospital treatment over four years.

Covering 2017/18 to 2021/22, the new report from Beat said there are currently no areas in Northern Ireland providing intensive community and day treatment services for both children and adults with eating disorders.

The charity’s review of research evidence suggested the absence of these services is leading to “otherwise avoidable hospital admissions.”

It also said that intensive community and day treatments can provide the same outcomes as inpatient care, are preferred by patients and families and cost far less than inpatient care which requires an overnight stay.

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The report said many of those with lived experience found hospital stays restrictive, with little added therapeutic benefit compared to appropriate care in the community.

Beat has now called on the Stormont Executive and the health and social care service (HSC) to provide access to intensive community and day treatment.

Beat’s National Lead for Northern Ireland, Nicola Armstrong, called the inconvenience affected patients “unacceptable.”

“Intensive community and day treatments have been proven to be very effective in reducing the frequency and duration of hospital stays and mean patients can stay in familiar surroundings with their support network while receiving treatment,” she said.

“Recovering from an eating disorder can be a lengthy and challenging process – people shouldn’t have the added anxieties of booking flights, missing work or university or arranging childcare to contend with. Ensuring that people with eating disorders can access proper care while continuing to live at home is essential to ensuring their speedy recovery and should be a priority for the NI Executive.”

Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, said: “Eating disorders are very serious, but treatable, conditions, and it is vital that evidence-based interventions are available to all those affected in Northern Ireland.

“Our Mental Health Strategy includes a commitment to improving services and providing specialist treatments to all those affected. Unfortunately progress on implementing the Strategy has been too slow, and the workforce challenges and funding pressures, have resulted in an unacceptable situation whereby people who are very ill need to make lengthy journeys to receive specialist care.

“I urge the Executive to find a way to fully fund the delivery of the Mental Health Strategy, including the workforce plan so that people with eating disorders get timely, effective treatment.’

A Department of Health spokesperson said the Mental Health Strategy (2021-31) includes commitments to ensure specialist interventions are available to those that need them to enhance the regional eating disorder service.

“The Health Minister has made clear that mental health is one of his key areas of focus and is due to discuss the current provision of services with the Clinical Lead for the Regional Eating Disorder Network Group and the Chair of the Eating Disorders Forum at a meeting in the coming weeks,” they said.

Patients assessed as having “mild to moderate” presentations are currently signposted to Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs).

“The specialist Eating Disorder Teams currently offer support to CMHTs in the delivery of psychological therapy interventions. The average treatment for therapeutic intervention within the specialist Eating Disorder Service currently is two years.  Some patients, owing to their status as ‘severe’, fall outside these prescribed treatment models.”

The current intensive day facilities in Belfast and South Eastern Trusts support up to four patients at a time.

Moving to a regional model would allow for up to ten patients, equivalent to two people in every health trust.

“Looking at therapeutic models, the service has reviewed standards across the UK and Ireland and is planning to base the programme on Compassion Focused Therapy which has a growing evidence base for use in Eating Disorders.  The development of the service is dependent on the availability of funding.”

More information on help for eating disorders is available at www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk, as well as the Northern Ireland helpline on 0808 801 0434.