Key Summary
- NHS clinicians will use a range of factors to assess eating disorders, with more focus on behaviour changes and family concerns.
- Teachers, GPs, and school nurses will be provided with online training to ensure they are aware of the signs and how they can refer a child for NHS support.
- The new NHS guidance was co-produced by a variety of stakeholders, including eating disorders charity Beat and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
The NHS will support teachers, school nurses, and GPs to spot the early signs of eating disorders among under-18s, so that no child is left to ‘suffer in silence’.
The new NHS guidance published on Tuesday (20) says a child’s body mass index (BMI) should not be the key factor when deciding who needs help for an eating disorder.
NHS clinicians will instead use a range of factors to assess young people, with more focus on behaviour changes and family concerns.
Teachers, GPs, and school nurses will be provided with online training to ensure they are aware of signs and how they can refer a child for NHS support.
The new NHS guidance was co-produced by a variety of stakeholders, including eating disorders charity Beat and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
This is the first major overhaul of children and young people with an eating disorder guidance since 2015, and it is being done in the backdrop of a two-fifth rise in under-18s getting treated for eating disorders since the pandemic.
The NHS has increased the number of specialist eating disorder services for children and young people, and the treatment is being provided close to their homes.
They are being treated within 3 weeks of a referral, on average, for conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders.
Beat director Tom Quinn said, “Demand for eating disorder services has risen steeply since the pandemic and we know that access to these services can vary widely depending on location. The publication of this new guidance is an encouraging step in the right direction, helping to ensure equitable access to eating disorder treatment across the country.
“We worked closely with NHS England during the drafting process and will do all we can to support its implementation."
He welcomed the inclusion of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and wanted the government to implement the guidance properly.
“We need the right staffing for this to work, and so recruiting and keeping staff should be a key priority. It’s imperative that funds are made available nationally and locally to deliver on this ambitious guidance,” he added.
NHS England National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity Dr Adrian James said, "It’s vital that everyone knows how to access this treatment, which is why we will be offering training to teachers, GPs and school nurses to spot the signs and refer children for specialist help faster."
Dr Ashish Kumar, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Eating Disorders Faculty, said the new guidance would improve care for children and young people who have anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders.
"These conditions can be extremely serious and even life-threatening when left untreated, so it is imperative that we are bold in our efforts to innovate the support that is available," he added.
