AQW 23425/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of patients currently awaiting treatment for eating disorders, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 26 February 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 26 February 2025
- Answer due by
- 13 March 2025
- Answered
- 13 March 202515 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
(i)
| Trust | Adults | Children |
| Southern | 5 | 10 |
| Western | 14 | <5 |
Note the following:
• Reporting for the 2024/25 year has been impacted by Encompass implementation for Belfast/SET & Northern Trusts. No data is available from Belfast/SET or Northern Trust for January 2025.
• Small numbers <5 have been suppressed for non-disclosure purposes
• This is Management Information sourced from Trusts’ manual returns – not official statistics.
(ii)
| Funding to Eating Disorder Services | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
| Eating Disorders Association NI | 23,300 | 18,000 | 18,000 | 25,200 | 13,500 |
| HSC Trusts | - | - | 1,158,000 | 1,000,000 | - |
| Total funding allocated | 23,300 | 18,000 | 1,176,000 | 1,025,200 | 13,500 |
(iii)
The Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031 includes a commitment to enhance regional eating disorder services and in line with the Mental Health Strategy Action 29d, a Regional Clinical Lead and Manager for the Regional Eating Disorder Managed Care Network were appointed in late 2024. They are in the planning phase of establishing the Network and a business case to improve effective resource allocation is in its final stages.
A precise timescale for further implementation of Action 29d has not been determined as it will depend upon the availability of funding. The Business Case related to Action 29d proposes to enhance the current community-based, evidence-based treatment model in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, thereby increasing regional availability and accessibility of intensive community and day treatment.