Found: content that may be harmful to them, including pornography, content relating to suicide, self-harm and eating

Found: tools apply to content that encourages, promotes or provides instructions for suicide, self -harm, or eating

Found: that may be harmful to them, including pornography, content relating to suicide, self-harm and eating

Found: could be used to modulate the hedonic aspects of food intake with implications for ameliorating eating

Found: Contact with psychiatric services, substance abuse, eating disorders and contact with police and social

Found: is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions including depression, anxiety, stress, eating

Found: is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions including depression, anxiety, stress, eating

Found: Healthcare and catering staff must work together to ensure that the needs of detained women with eating

Found: in relation to people with complex emotional needs and/or a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ or eating

Found: in relation to people with complex emotional needs and/or a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ or eating

Found: Healthcare and catering staff must work together to ensure that the needs of detained women with eating

Found: disorders and other self -harming behaviours among children, and invest in preventive measures

Found: It also includes help for young people experiencing eating disorders.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on primary care provision of eating disorder services.

Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

We remain committed to improving mental health service provision in primary care settings, including early detection and care for those presenting with an eating disorder.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan (2023) sets out our ambition to drive a shift in the balance of care across mental health to ensure a focus on prevention and early intervention in the community, including a focus on providing high quality mental health care in General Practice.

We are committed to supporting people to access the right care at the right time. That is why we have allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards this year to improve the quality and delivery of mental health services for all, including eating disorder services.

We have also provided Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, with over £600,000 to provide a range of support services for those impacted by an eating disorder. This includes the introduction of Beyond the Symptoms Training for GPs and Healthcare professionals to support them to identify when a patient has an eating disorder, and to confidently intervene early.

Additionally, the Scottish Government has recently developed a National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland which will be published later this year. The National Specification outlines a national minimum level of service which will support local services to deliver person-centred, safe and effective care and covers all levels of treatment for eating disorders, from primary care all the way through to specialist inpatient care.

We are also establishing a National Eating Disorder Network which will look at improving specialist eating disorder services and links between primary and secondary services.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its National Eating Disorder Network, which it committed to establishing in 2023.

Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

Progress has been made in establishing the National Eating Disorder Network which will meet formally for the first time later this Spring. In October 2023, Professor Cathy Richards was appointed to establish and chair the Network and work is underway to appoint clinical advisors with experience in eating disorders treatment for children and adults. The Network membership is being finalised and a Terms of Reference is being developed.

The Network will support delivery of the remaining long-term recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services in Scotland (2021). A key aim of the Network is to support the implementation of the National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorder Services in Scotland, which will be published later this year.

Additionally, we will work with NHS 24 to publish online information and self-help resources on NHS inform which will allow people to access free, evidence-based information and support.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders.

Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

Beat has reported that 29 GPs have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. Beat continues to promote this training with stakeholders, along with other training resources that are available on their website. Beat has engaged with GP practices across Scotland regarding this training and other resources, and have used the SPOT platform for schools professionals to offer the training to school nurses.

In addition, through Scottish Government funding, Beat continues to expand and maintain an extensive list of eating disorder and weight management services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Community Mental Health Teams across all 14 Health Boards. These stakeholders receive regular updates on available Beat services.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-GP healthcare professionals have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders, broken down by profession.

Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

Beat has reported that 249 non-GP healthcare professionals have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. A full breakdown by profession is not available, but the training has been completed by professionals including Community Mental Health Teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and school nurses.