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 reasons for the increasing number of acute or urgent cases of children and young people with eating disorders presenting to primary and secondary care.

No formal assessment has been made. However, we are working with the National Health Service to develop an understanding of the impact of the pandemic on eating disorders in children and young people.

Through UK Research and Innovation, the Government has funded a £3.8 million study to develop an interdisciplinary, evidence-based model of how eating disorders develop and on recovery in young people. The research aims to improve the detection of eating disorders, treatment and services and assist clinicians to tailor treatments to a young person’s individual circumstances.