Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the provision of specialist eating disorder support for patients in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably.

The services offered to young people, those aged 13 to 18 years old, with an eating disorder are monitored for safety, quality, and performance by the Lead Provider Collaborative (LPC) Commissioning Team. A team of clinicians within the LPC work with the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and people with lived experience of eating disorder services to ensure they meet required quality, performance, and patient/carer standards.

NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s eating disorders, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.