Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of flexible eating disorder treatment options for adults, including outpatient, day patient and community based models.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that adults with eating disorders can access timely, evidence-based care in the setting most appropriate to their needs.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on eating disorders sets out clear, evidence-based approaches to assessment, treatment, and inpatient care for adults. In practice, this care is delivered across a range of settings, including community and outpatient services, which provide assessment, psychological therapies, and ongoing support.

NHS England’s specialised adult eating disorder service specification supports a flexible approach to treatment to match clinical presentation, including intensive day-patient provision such as medical monitoring, evidence-based psychological interventions, and dietetic support, as well as inpatient care where a higher level of intervention is required.

Responsibility for delivery is shared across the system, as integrated care boards assess local need and commission appropriate community and outpatient services for their populations, while NHS England provides national guidance to support commissioners and providers in developing coherent pathways across different levels of treatment intensity.