Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) provide support for children with Paediatric Feeding Disorder and (b) to reduce distances travelled to reach appropriate clinics in (i) Broxtowe constituency, (ii) the East Midlands and (iii) England.

There is currently no formal National Health Service pathway for paediatric feeding disorder (PFD), and support is delivered according to a child’s individual needs.

In Broxtowe, children may receive support through community paediatric services or speech and language therapy. Where a child’s needs cannot be met locally, the integrated care board can consider individual requests and commission additional specialist input to ensure appropriate care is provided.

Across the East Midlands, arrangements vary. In Lincolnshire, children are first assessed locally before referral to general paediatrics and, if required, to tertiary centres such as Sheffield Children’s Hospital or Queen’s Medical Centre. In Derby and Derbyshire, PFD is recognised in practice, although there is no dedicated pathway, and feeding difficulties are often considered alongside conditions such as avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Northamptonshire provides a multidisciplinary community service across three sites, helping families access support closer to home. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland offer specialist eating, drinking, and swallowing services locally and do not expect families to travel out of area.

Nationally, children with feeding difficulties may be supported through community services, general paediatrics, and referral to specialist multidisciplinary clinics where available.