Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to improve the assessment and diagnosis for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in (i) Teesside and (ii) the North East of England.

NHS England is working with eating disorder services and local commissioners to improve access to assessment and treatment for all children and young people with a suspected eating disorder, including those presenting with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

In 2019/20, NHS England funded seven community eating disorder teams, one in each region in England, as part of a pilot programme to improve access, assessment, and treatment for children and young people with ARFID. The training from these pilots is now available for local areas to commission for their community children and young people’s eating disorder services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has prioritised work to improve ARFID pathways. The ICB’s specialist provider collaborative appointed a dedicated ARFID project lead to develop and share best practice across the region. This work has supported improved clinical networking, supervision, and training materials, and resulted in the development of information and resources for families and service users.

Within the Tees Valley, eating disorder services provide assessment and treatment for patients with moderate to severe ARFID, and they have developed a specific ARFID pathway. Support for people with mild to moderate ARFID presentations is also available through local voluntary sector organisations such as Eating Distress North East.