Found: discrimination that people often face.9 People with other mental health conditions (e.g. depression) and eating

Found: In significant areas —in maternity care, mental health, avoidable death, sepsis, eating disorders—time

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's web page entitled Diabetes treatment and care programme, whether all eight Type 1 diabetes and disordered eating pilots have been commissioned by their Integrated Care Systems to secure services independently of NHS England pilot scheme funding.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The national approach to funding the establishment of Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating services was delivered in two phases. Initial sites in London, Hampshire, and Dorset received national funding between 2018/19 and 2021/22, before the transition of commissioning responsibility to local systems commenced from April 2023. All three of these services did initially secure local funding, independent of the national pilot scheme. More recently, we understand that the status of these sites to be as follows: London services are partially active across London, with local consideration of ongoing funding and delivery arrangements underway; Hampshire services are active and embedded in wider eating disorder specialist services; and Dorset services have been discontinued. The remaining five newer services have been funded from September 2022, and are nationally funded up to March 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has received representations from (a) healthcare professionals, (b) patient advocacy groups and (c) local authorities on discontinuing Type 1 diabetes and disordered eating services.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care engages with a range of external stakeholders, including discussions on Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating (T1DE) services. NHS England is working closely with regional and integrated care board (ICB) level teams to ensure that informed decisions are made about the future provision of T1DE services.

Responsibility for the commissioning of T1DE services sits with the ICBs. It is the role of local ICB decision makers to consider the implications of continuing or discontinuing T1DE services, specific to each location, and including the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups, and local authorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps she has taken to help reduce waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services in Stockport constituency.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

We want to ensure that children and young people get the mental health support they need, including in the Stockport constituency, and overall spending on mental health has increased by more than £4.7 billion in cash terms since 2018/19. This has enabled an expansion of child and young people's mental health services. As of January 2024, the latest data from NHS Digital shows there were 758,485 children and young people aged under 18 years old, supported through National Health Service funded mental health services with at least one contact.

We have introduced two waiting-time standards for children and young people. The first is for 95% of children, up to 19 years old, with eating disorders to receive treatment within one week for urgent cases, and four weeks for routine cases. The second is for 50% of patients of all ages experiencing a first episode of psychosis to receive treatment within two weeks of referral.

NHS England is developing a new waiting time measure for children and their families and carers to start to receive community-based mental health care within four weeks from referral. NHS England began publishing this new data in 2023 to improve transparency and drive local accountability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support she is providing for young people with eating disorders in Wellingborough constituency.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2016, investment in children and young people's community eating disorder services has risen every year, with an extra £54 million per year as of 2023/24. This extra funding continues to enhance the capacity of community eating disorder teams across the country.

NHS England continues to work with system leaders and regions, including Wellingborough, and asks that areas prioritise service delivery and investment to meet the needs of these vulnerable young people, to help ensure funding flows to these services as intended. To support this, NHS England is refreshing guidance on children and young people's eating disorders, including increasing the focus on early identification and intervention.

I can’t eat out, at restaurants, cafes or even meal deals. Why? Because nine months into my recovery from anorexia I am STILL plagued by calories on everything. I am asking for the law on calorie counts to be re-assessed.

Found: Studies show that admissions for eating disorders are only increasing.

Found: This sets a dangerous trajectory, where addictions have the possibility to cause eating disorders, simply

Found: gluten -free (DWP 2023) People with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder ), anxiety disorders, eating

Found: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), bulimia, depression, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), eating

Found: with national guidelines; increasing inclusion of psychological therapies from other areas including eating

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had regarding and (b) consideration it has given to the use of integrated cognitive behaviour treatment (I-CBTE) for patients with eating disorders and anorexia.

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

The Scottish Government is supporting the NHS to offer the best evidence-based care and treatment to anyone who needs it. Decisions on what the best, and most appropriate, treatment options are for patients are informed by official guidelines, and clinical and professional involvement in someone’s care.

In 2022, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), produced for the first time Scottish specific eating disorder treatment guidelines. These guidelines cover referrals, management of medical and mental health risks, choice of treatments and management of transitions. In addition NHS Education Scotland have recently published the updated evidence summary for the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa.

We recognise that anyone who might be suffering with an eating disorder needs to get the help they need, when they need it. We therefore expect mental health services across Scotland to respond rapidly and decisively to the needs of our vulnerable people, particularly those with eating disorders.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out of the number of eating disorder patients who are neurodivergent.

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

The Scottish Government does not collect this data. Individual NHS boards may hold this data locally and are best placed to advise.

We do know that eating disorders can co-occur with neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD. The draft National Specification for Treatment and Care of Eating Disorders outlines that we would expect services to work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations.

The Scottish Government also partners with and provides funding to a number of organisations that can support neurodivergent people who are living with an eating disorder. These include the National Autistic Society Scotland, which has published useful guidance and information that can help autistic people who struggle with eating in different ways.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what pathways of support and treatment are available to eating disorder patients who may require non-standardised care.

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

We are committed to supporting people to access the right care at the right time and having support in place to respond to the whole person needs of those who suffer from an eating disorder. That is why in 2023-24 we allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all, including eating disorder services.

The Scottish Government has recently developed a draft National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland which will be finalised later this year. It clearly outlines that we would expect services to have specialist pathways and work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations such as neurodiversity, pregnancy, diabetes etc.

The vast majority of people with eating disorders will be treated in the community, with support provided by primary care or community mental health teams, and with support links to specialist hospital or voluntary sector care where appropriate.

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.