THERE’S been a near 300 per cent increase in the number of children suffering eating disorders referred for medical help in Worcestershire in the last four months.
Staff at Worcestershire Health and Care Trust say the figures are a continuation of an increase being felt across both Worcestershire and Herefordshire as well as nationally since the start of the pandemic.
Despite this, the Trust says its team dealing with the issue are still managing to hit government set national waiting time targets which mean the majority of local children referred with an urgent need being treated within one week, and all other cases within 28 days.
“It is really important that children experiencing a serious eating disorder get the help and support they need as quickly as possible and while the team have been under real pressure over the last 12 months, they have worked really hard to ensure the increase in referrals has not led to longer waits,” said Elaine Cook-Tippins, clinical services manager within the eating disorder service.
The unit forms part of the wider CAMH (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) service which is currently rated Outstanding in Worcestershire by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It specifically treats eating disorders in children and young people between the ages of eight to 17 and a half and is made up of a team of mental health professionals who provide a range of treatment options including family-based treatment, psycho-education, individual therapy, dietetic support and ongoing medical monitoring which assess any wider health implications.
“We provide a range of treatments depending on what is appropriate for the child or young person and, since the increase in demand more recently, we have starting running virtual clinics which allow us to support more children and families, and we have expanded our physical health monitoring support with our wider team at the Trust which helps us provide a more rounded service to young people,” added Elaine.
According to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health a number of factors are thought to have contributed to increased stress, deterioration in young people’s mental health and an intense focus for some on eating and exercise during the pandemic.
These include, isolation from peers during school closures, exam cancellations, loss of motivating extra-curricular activities such as sports, dance/drama/youth clubs; an increased use of social media with young people concentrating on unrealistic ideas of body image; being forced to quarantine (a particular problem for many students newly arrived at university); worries about families’ economic problems; illness or death of loved ones, and fears about contracting the virus.
For more information on the Children’s Eating Disorder Service visit www.hacw.nhs.uk
