Eating disorder children left to wait for urgent treatment

CHILDREN with eating disorders are waiting more than a month for NHS treatment, new figures show.

The first official health service statistics show that hundreds of cases, including urgent referrals, are facing delays getting help for anorexia and bulimia.

Last year the Government set new targets for treatment of children and young people with eating disorders.

They state that by 2020, 95 per cent of the most urgent cases should get help within a week, with 95 per cent of the remainder seen within a month.

The new monthly figures, from NHS England, show hundreds of children and young people are waiting far longer. One in three urgent cases was forced to wait more than a week for help, while one in five other cases waited at least four weeks – including those delayed for more than three months.

Earlier this year, psychiatrists warned of a growing crisis in services to treat eating disorders, with waits of up to 16 months in some areas.

In February, a Telegraph investigation highlighted a dramatic fall in provision of hospital appointments for eating disorders, with a 36 per cent reduction in appointments in just two years.

Charities said children with eating disorders were being forced to wait months for help, while their weight became perilously low.

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at Beat, the charity for eating disorders, said: “It is concerning that so many young people are waiting too long for treatment.

“All evidence tells us the sooner someone with an eating disorder gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full and sustained recovery.”

A spokesman for NHS England said: “The data shows a substantial proportion of children and young people are receiving the care they need swiftly. It also highlights the scale of change under way by a major programme of work to improve services.”