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 adequacy of support services for eating disorders; and what steps his Department is taking to help prevent eating disorder deaths.

The Government recognises that the earlier that treatment is provided, the better the chance of short-term recovery.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, there is a critical need to shift treatment of eating disorders from hospital to the community. Improved care in the community will give young people early access to evidence-based treatment involving families and carers, improving outcomes and preventing relapse.

NHS England have established 15 Provider Collaboratives focusing on adult eating disorders. These collaboratives are working to redesign care pathways and focus resources on community services. By providing treatment earlier and closer to home, we will see better outcomes for adults with eating disorders and their families.

The Department is committed to learning from deaths in order to prevent future tragedies and improve quality of care. The Department receives and responds to prevention of future death reports relating to eating disorders and uses this work to inform practice. For example, the Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders guidance was created following a coroner’s report and has since been rolled out nationwide.