New support service for people with eating disorders in North East Lincolnshire
It'll help people self refer
A new eating disorder service is said to help cut waiting times in North East Lincolnshire.
FREED will allow patients to refer themselves for support.
It’s come at a time where more people have been suffering from problems with eating due to the pandemic.
The NHS service, delivered by leading mental health services provider NAViGO in North East Lincs, builds on a successful model shown to help young people in London, with one patient describing it as ‘the gold standard’ of care.
National reports indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in eating disorder cases during the pandemic with the impact of the last two years resulting in more young people needing support.
With eating disorders causing serious physical and mental health problems which can last decades, the expanded service will target care to those who have been living with a condition for fewer than three years, to tackle problems before they escalate.
Teens or young adults coming forward who would benefit from treatment will be contacted within 48 hours with assessment beginning within two weeks.
NAViGO FREED lead Sarah Heaton said: "Eating disorders can ruin young adults’ lives so it’s vital that we provide support as quickly as possible to prevent what can be a devastating impact.
“We’re excited to be launching FREED and hope that with this new approach anyone in North East Lincolnshire who is experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder will now be able to access a rapid, evidence-based intervention before the condition spirals out of control."
Developed seven years ago by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, FREED provides rapid access to high-quality care for people in the early stages of illness when treatment is most likely to be effective.
FREED will run alongside NAViGO’s existing eating disorder services which include community outpatient services and specialist inpatient eating disorder facility Rharian Fields.
A two-year follow-up study on FREED, published in 2019, showed that patients who were treated for anorexia nervosa via FREED had better weight outcomes and reduced need for day/inpatient care, compared to patients that were treated via standard care pathways.
The nationwide rollout of the early intervention programme furthers the commitment to the NHS Long Term Plan, to improve access to adult eating disorder services.
As part of the work to transform community mental health services across the country, the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) is supporting the national adoption of evidenced based models including FREED for the early identification of eating disorders in adults aged 17.5 – 25.
Mark Dines-Allen is the project manager for the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN and has been working closely with NAVIGO to introduce the service locally.
He said: “Eating disorders are disabling and potentially deadly, and early treatment is essential. FREED overcomes barriers to early treatment and recovery and provides highly coordinated early care, with a central focus on reducing the duration of an untreated eating disorder. It consists of a service model and a care package.
“I hope that by rolling out FREED in the North East Lincolnshire region it will create the momentum needed elsewhere to make early intervention a reality for all young people with eating disorders.”
For more details or to self-refer to the service visit navigocare.co.uk