An Eating Disorder Service for young people up to 18 years of age in the south of the county will be officially launched by Nottinghamshire Healthcare on Tuesday 9 March.
The service, which is delivered by the Trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), has been operating since October 2009.
The service team works with young people and their families by taking a multi-disciplinary approach, involving the expertise of a Consultant Psychiatrist, Nurses, Specialist Clinicians, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists, Systemic Family Therapists, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists and Dieticians.
Each young person referred to the service has a treatment package tailored to suit their needs which is regularly reviewed as part of the Care Programme Approach Pathway. Treatment will begin to address possible reasons behind the young person’s struggles with eating, and work towards improving their relationship with food.
Lynne Addicott, Eating Disorder Clinical Development Lead, CAMHS said: “Eating disorders can affect many areas of a young person’s life and that of their family. They not only impact upon physical health, but also psychological wellbeing and can affect social functioning, education and family life. Research has shown us that the most effective way of helping a young person overcome an eating disorder is by using a multi-disciplinary approach to address this variety of psychological and physical implications.”
There are three main types of eating disorders; Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Eating disorders are common and can range from relatively mild to extremely severe and can be life threatening.
The new service works closely with the Adolescent Inpatient Unit at Thorneywood, and other partners including family doctors (GPs), Community Paediatricians, Paediatric Liaison Psychiatry and Paediatric Physicians at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Lynne continued: “We are delighted to be able to offer this service across the south of the county. We aim to provide the best possible care and support to young people and their families, by working closely with our partners, as well as supporting transition into adult mental health services or more intensive treatment where required.”
The service launch event will include guest speaker Rachel Bryant-Waugh, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Joint Head of Feeding & Eating Disorders Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London and some reflections on personal experience from service users and their families.
The Trust’s eating disorders service for young people and their families in North Nottinghamshire was launched in November 2009.
