Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2018 to Question 122582, on eating disorders, when he plans to publish (a) his Department’s, (b) NHS England’s and (c) NHS Improvement’s response to the recommendations of the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman's report.

The Government takes seriously the report of the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO) ‘Ignoring the alarms: how NHS eating disorder services are failing patients’.

Following on from the publication of the Ombudsman’s report, the Department is working with partner organisations and arm’s length bodies, including NHS England, and NHS Improvement to consider how the recommendations can be taken into account as part of the planned improvements to mental health and eating disorder services.

NHS England is leading on the response to the PHSO report and is currently considering the recommendations set out within it. It will be responding fully in due course to both the PHSO and the family of the patient concerned.

NHS England is currently developing a pathway for adults with eating disorders and is working with healthcare professionals to improve understanding of eating disorders – the case investigated by the Ombudsman’s report will be considered as part of this.