Young people in Sheffield with an eating disorder including anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating are set to receive rapid help.
The NHS service builds on a successful model shown to help 16-25 year olds in
London, with one patient describing it as ‘the gold standard’ of care.
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.
The service aims to contact teens or young adults coming forward who would benefit from treatment within 48 hours and to see young people within 4 weeks of referral to start treatment; however due to receiving a higher number of referrals this might currently take a bit longer and be up to 6 weeks from referral.
As part of work to transform community mental health services across the country, the Academic Health Science Network are supporting the rollout of FREED
First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) is an evidence-based early intervention model for eating disorders, tailored to young people’s needs. Developed six years ago by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, it provides rapid access to high-quality care for people in the early stages of illness when treatment is most likely to be effective.
A two-year follow-up study on FREED, published in October last year, 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. This will see the NHS expanding the availability of early intervention services, increasing access and reducing waiting times to support improved clinical outcomes for young adults with eating disorders.
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 16 – 25.
Ulrike Schmidt, Professor of Eating Disorders at King's College London and Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Eating disorders are disabling and potentially deadly, and early treatment is essential.
We are absolutely thrilled with this much needed investment, which further endorses FREED as a highly effective and cost-effective model of care. We hope that rolling out FREED to 18 specialist eating disorder teams in England, will create the momentum needed to make early intervention a reality for all young people with eating disorders.”
Michelle Hinde, Clinical Manager of South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Association (SYEDA) 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 Sheffield 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. And we are looking forward to be able to offer this service beyond Sheffield in the near future."
For more information about FREED please refer to https://freedfromed.co.uk/
