Eating disorders: Targets fail to improve children’s access to treatment, warn psychiatrists

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has called for more investment in children’s eating disorders services after finding that targets introduced in England in 2021 to improve access to treatment have never been met.The current lack of capacity in the NHS means that even children who meet the threshold for specialist eating disorder services are often in physical and mental health crisis by the time they are seen, warned the college. It said that more child and adolescent psychiatrists, including those who specialise in eating disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions, are needed to tackle staff shortages.In 2021 NHS England set a target for 95% of children and young people with an urgent eating disorder referral to be seen within a week, and for 95% of routine referrals to be seen within four weeks. But an analysis by the college using NHS data on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) eating disorders…
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