Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to reduce waiting times for eating disorder services.

Under the NHS Long Term Plan, we will invest almost £1 billion extra by 2023/24 in community mental health services for adults with severe mental illness, such as eating disorders. In addition, an extra £58 million will be invested this financial year to accelerate the expansion of integrated primary and secondary care for this patient group

We have also set up the first waiting time standard for children and young people’s eating disorder services with the aim that 95% of children with an eating disorder will receive treatment within one week for urgent cases and within four weeks for routine cases. Under the NHS Long Term Plan, £53 million of extra funding a year is planned to go into children and young people's community eating disorder services from 2021/22. We are also investing an extra £79 million in 2021/22 to significantly expand children’s mental health services, including allowing 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services

We have also announced early intervention services for young people aged 16-25 with eating disorders in an additional 18 sites across the country, which will see people coming forward being contacted within 48 hours and beginning treatment within two weeks.