Written question WQ82462

Improving eating disorder services is a priority in our current Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan with an emphasis on working with service users, carers and health boards to develop models of service in response to the 2018 independent review.

All-age mental health services, including for eating disorders, were ‘essential’ services during the pandemic. The additional pressure associated with the pandemic on both workforce and delivery models has impacted progress in achieving shorter waiting times and the delivery of improvement plans for all-age eating disorder services across Wales.

The National Eating Disorder Lead took up post early in 2021 and has led a number of stakeholder workshops with clinicians, third sector and people living with eating disorders. This is a pivotal role to deliver the transformational change needed and to drive activity and identify solutions for implementation of the review recommendations.

As a result of the review, in 2019-20 and 2020-21, every health board received additional funding to support eating disorder services in their areas. In developing proposals for 2020-21, health boards were asked to consider the impact of COVID-19 on current demand and models of eating disorder service provision.

For 2021-22 funding, eating disorder services have been included as a key priority area for the £7m Mental Health Service Improvement Funding. All health boards have been asked to include proposals:

• reconfiguring services towards earlier intervention,

• working towards achieving the NICE standards on eating disorders,

• continuing to implement plans to achieve a four-week waiting times across adult and child services as recommended in the report.

Health boards have also been asked to consider the impact of COVID-19 on demand for services and to address the need for inpatient admissions. We continue to encourage health boards to work collectively to look at regional solutions.

In addition to the work undertaken directly by health services, we recognise the increased demand that has been placed on the third sector as a result of COVID-19, and the vital role organisations have played in supporting people.

The Welsh Government has provided £30,940 to BEAT in 2020-21 and £25,000 in 2021-22 to expand the support provided in Wales during the pandemic.