Latest News: 25-04-2007
Eating Disorder Treatment on Woman's Hour
Eating disorder treatment provision for people with eating disorders in the UK was discussed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour today.
The discussion follows the Government’s announcement that it is to invest £2 million into the research and treatment of eating disorders.
Lucy Serpell, a clinical psychologist with London NHS Trust who works with anorexic patients, explained that while the money from the Government is good news, there is currently a lack of good treatments for anorexia. (Lucy also runs the very useful and informative website Eating Disorders Resources.)
Professor Julia Buckroyd, Director of the Obesity and Eating Disorders Research Unit, University of Hertfordshire, said that for people looking for help for dangerous eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, the resources available are scarce.
The Minister of Public Health, Caroline Flint, emphasised the Government’s commitment to developing psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and other talking therapies, and described how the foundations are being laid to enable these services to be provided across the NHS in the future.
In addition to this, the NICE guidelines (clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders prepared by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), are due for review in January 2008, which will provide an opportunity to assess how the guidance is being used and what else needs to be done.
For the many thousands of people who are currently struggling with an eating disorder, knowing that a review of the NICE guidelines (which apparently many doctors don’t refer to or even know exists) is due in just under a year is not going to be very helpful.
Lucy Serpell recommends eating disorder sufferers take along a copy of the NICE guidelines to their GP and personally show them the latest recommended eating disorder treatments.
Click here for the NICE eating disorders clinical guidelines »
On a positive note the latest research shows cognitive behavioural therapy to be very useful in treating bulimia nervosa, with about half of patients who receive this treatment getting better.