Adults Face Extensive Waits for Eating Disorder Treatment in England

Adults with eating disorders in England wait up to 700 days for vital treatment, a new report reveals.

The National Audit of Eating Disorders (NAED) uncovered these stark figures in its first report, examining access to eating disorder services nationwide.

Commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Enhancement Partnership and funded by NHS England, the audit found more community teams support children than adults.

Adults with eating disorders wait twice as long for assessment and over ten times as long for treatment compared to children, according to the report.

The eating disorder charity Beat expressed concern over the “growing disparity” between child and adult services.

Data collected between January and May showed 93 community teams and 54 inpatient teams serve children and young people, while 69 community teams and 33 inpatient teams support adults.

Children and young people typically wait 14 days for assessment and four days for treatment,though some experience waits up to 450 days for treatment.

Adults face median waits of 28 days for assessment and 42 days for treatment, with some waiting up to 700 days for treatment.