Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is giving to middle-aged people diagnosed with eating disorders.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently updating its guideline on eating disorders covering a range of age groups, including adults, to be published in May 2017.

Treatment for eating disorders is initially provided by a patient’s general practitioner who then refers them to the relevant mental health service. The General Medical Council is responsible for setting the standards and outcomes for education and training and approving training curricula to ensure newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. This includes training on treating patients with eating disorders as required.