Written question WQ90649

All patients requiring in-patient treatment receive dedicated help and support from specialist clinicians that match their needs.

As part of the NHS five-year specialised Services Strategy for Mental Health, the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC), has been considering the need for specialised eating disorders beds for males, females and young people in detail.

NHS Wales commissions beds for adults with an eating disorder who require specialised services and numbers can change on a daily basis depending on needs. This includes four beds in the recently opened unit in Ebbw Vale. Further beds are also commissioned from the independent sector in other parts of Great Britain for those not suitable for the Ebbw Vale unit. In total, NHS Wales has commissioned 11 beds for specialised eating disorders.

Young people, aged 12 to 18, with an eating disorder can be placed at the two NHS units at Ty Llidiard and NWAS. We currently commission 27 general adolescent unit beds in these units but they are not specifically for eating disorder patients. Specialised eating disorder unit placements are commissioned, as required, usually from the independent sector. Children under 12 are usually assessed on a case-by-case basis and placed in a paediatric environment, such as at Alder Hey Hospital.

As my 19 January written statement set out, we are working towards adopting the FREED model. Currently eating disorder services in CAMHS and adult mental health services have their own referral pathways and criteria so not all will include binge-eating disorder (BED). FREED will start to address this variation. Our clinical lead will be working with health boards to develop a national pathway for people with all eating disorders, including BED.

Our continued work and support of BEAT provides early access to help and advice including around BED. The Reading Well prescriptive reading initiative contains collections for children, teens and adults and are available bilingually in all 22 Welsh local authorities, to help people understand their health and wellbeing through reading. Reading Well books are recommended by health experts, as well as people with lived experience of the conditions and topics covered and their relatives and carers. This includes titles such as Overcoming Binge Eating.

I will be setting out the longer-term actions to improve mental health support, including eating disorders, when we publish our new draft mental health and wellbeing strategy.