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.

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