Eating disorder services for adults in the North East are set for a major expansion - with extra appointments and a new home-based service making it easier for those in need to get help.
The Intensive Day Service (IDS) - run jointly by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust (CNTW) and the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust (TEWV) - will be changing this winter. CNTW is to offer double the number of clinic sessions at its Benfield House base at Walkergate Hospital in Newcastle - and the new IDS @ Home service will see community mental health teams travel to the homes of patients.
The latter service will help to limit the travel needed for people to access vital services and help reach people living in harder-to-reach rural areas across County Durham and Northumberland. In the North East, eating disorder support works as part of a "provider collaborative" model - which means the two NHS trusts work together.
A key priority is to ensure care occurs as close to home as possible for patients. The changes come on the back of consultation with those who have lived experience of eating disorders about how to improve services.
The NHS trusts said that now capacity is increasing they are looking to recruit more staff - the new system will" provide numerous benefits". These are hoped to include a reduction in waiting times for services, increasing access to treatment in the community before someone requires a hospital bed and offering more flexible support to help prevent relapses in a patient's condition.
Kelly Haslem, CNTW's associate director for neurological and specialist services said: "This is a really important step in ensuring we deliver the most appropriate care for people with eating disorders. By increasing accessibility, we can reduce hospital admissions and give people the option to make informed decisions on the care they receive and where they receive it.
"Getting to those hard-to-reach areas enables us to provide continuity of care and avoid a postcode lottery for people who need our services, making access equal for all."
Dr Nick Wolstenholme - a consultant specialising in eating disorders at TEWV - said: "It’s excellent news that partnership is being strengthened and extending its offer to ensure people with eating disorders receive the care and treatment they need, building upon our existing service offer and improving access to intensive support."
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