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“Eating disorders, in particular anorexia, have high rates of mortality yet are treatable conditions. With the right care and support in a timely manner, most patients can make a full recovery.”
Dr Ashish Kumar, Chair, Faculty of Eating Disorders, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, March 2025
“Child and adolescent eating disorder services have never achieved NHS waiting time targets, and are not able to meet significant demand… 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. Delays in treatment cause children with eating disorders physical and mental harm… there is an unacceptable gap between the number of children being referred to specialist eating disorders services, and those being seen”
Royal College of Psychiatrists 2024
“Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening conditions with some of the highest mortality rates of any mental health disorder. Early intervention is vital and we recognise how important it is that everyone with an eating disorder can access quick, specialist help when necessary. Improving eating disorder services is a key priority for the government and a fundamental part of our commitment to improve mental health services.”
UK Government
This conference focuses on Eating Disorders: improving access, treatment and recovery outcomes, and meeting the national standards for children, young people and adults. We will hear from a lived experience speaker who co-authored a report on the state of eating disorder services and the challenges of accessing specialist care across the country:
“Timely and early access to effective treatment and support is key to saving lives for people with an eating disorder. We must continue to hold the Government and NHS leaders accountable by sharing what we learn from complaints and the stories of those let down by overstretched services. Only through concrete and swift action can we achieve real progress in eating disorder care for all.”
Callum Boyd, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, PHSO, February 2025
The conference will also update delegates on best practice and challenges in Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) following evidence of increased referrals
“The number of people affected by ARFID is unknown. Treatment is not available nationwide and people with ARFID, or who suspect they may have it, struggle to access the help they need.”
Beat Eating Disorders
We will also hear from an expert addressing eating disorders in older individuals and the unique challenges and complexities in diagnosing for this age group:
“There are increasing numbers of people of older age who are being diagnosed and more research into it. Over the spectrum of life people use food as a means of communicating. Older people do use food as a means of communicating how they feel. It purveys more areas of life than people realise. Elderly people are losing control of lots of different things in their life, physical, capability, maybe feeling more isolated. It’s an area of training in care, moving forwards.”
Jess Griffiths, Clinical Lead at Beat, April 2025
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve services, practice and treatment for people who are experiencing Eating Disorders
Understand the national context and evidence base
Reflect on the lived experience of Eating Disorders
Understand the current challenges around waiting times and early intervention including innovative approaches to first contact services and meeting current demand
Develop your skills and improve competence in delivering Eating Disorders services
Ensure early intervention and reducing waiting times in both adult and child and adolescent services
Learn from case studies on how to support neurodivergent children and young people with eating disorders
Identify key strategies for increasing the use of day and home based treatment programmes
Learn from current best practice in treatment of Eating Disorders
Update your knowledge on ARFID and understand the challenges in early assessment and treatment
Improve practice and ensure adherence to the guidance on diagnosing and supporting older people with eating disorders
Develop best practice in improving eating disorder services for boys and men
Ensure you are up to date with current consensus on exercise in eating disorders: treatment and practice
Improve access and services for adults with Eating Disorders
Develop your skills in working with families and friends
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
