February 7, 2005
by staff reporter

GPs are failing to diagnose eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia quickly enough, a campaign group said today.

Up to 1.1 million people, mainly girls, are thought to be experiencing eating disorders, with those aged between 14 and 20 most vulnerable.

But the Eating Disorders Association (EDA) says in a report that access to specialist services for sufferers was "patchy" across Britain, despite National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines to improve the care and treatment of such patients.

"Hardly a week goes by without EDA hearing from a family whose story includes the fact that their GP either didn't pick up on the problem, or else didn't act quickly enough," said Susan Ringwood, the EDA's chief executive.

"This unfortunate situation must be resolved quickly to prevent more young lives being lost to these deadly disorders."

The EDA interviewed 1,700 patients and families across the country and found wide variations in standards of care.

The survey found 42% thought that access to early diagnosis was unsatisfactory, while 19% said there was room for improvement.

A shortage of specialist units around the UK meant that many patients were being treated a long way from home, or in general psychiatric treatment wards.

In some parts of Britain the nearest specialist service could be 150 miles away.

The Getting Better report comes a year after NICE published guidelines setting out the best standards for the treatment of eating disorders in the NHS in England and Wales, which said people seeking help should be assessed and treated "at the earlier opportunity".

Ms Ringwood said 55% of patients were not being treated by a specialist, while only 17% of young people were being cared for in a setting appropriate to their age.

The health minister Rosie Winterton defended the government's record, saying the issue of eating disorders was taken seriously, particularly among young people.

"Change does not happen overnight, but I am confident that the record investment going into mental health NHS services will make a real difference to people who suffer from eating disorders."

Read for yourself
'Getting Better? Is the quality of treatment for eating disorder in the UK getting better? (pdf)

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