Galway is to become a regional centre for the treatment of bulimia and anorexia.
The HSE has confirmed to the Connacht Tribune that an eating disorder hub will be established at Merlin Park Hospital. The hub will be embedded in the local mental health service, and will cater for patients with eating disorders in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo.
Eight dedicated inpatient beds at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at Merlin Park will be set aside for the treatment of children and teenagers aged up to 18. The HSE has also recommended a further five adult beds for eating disorders.
“It’s a five-year plan, so budgets will be included in annual service plans under the mental health budget,” said a spokesperson for the HSE.
Galway’s eating disorder hub is part of a new national plan to deliver a ‘stepped care’ model for people with bulimia, anorexia and other mental health problems related to food and eating.
The HSE recommends that a dedicated eating disorder team is set up at each of the hubs around the country, including Galway.
“These teams will predominantly provide outpatient and intensive/day programmes, as well as consultation and support to people admitted to acute hospitals, in collaboration with liaison psychiatry services, medical, paediatric and inpatient teams. In the case of admissions of adults to psychiatric units, the eating disorder team will provide ongoing clinical care. In the case of admissions of under 18s to psychiatric units, the eating disorder team will provide consultation and support to the inpatient team as required,” the HSE said.
It is recommended that the Galway hub will have provision for outpatient, day-patient, and inpatient mental health services. There will be mini-hubs to serve smaller catchment areas with provision for outpatient and day-patient mental health services.
Eating disorders affect up to 5% of the population at some point in their lives, and anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all of the mental health conditions, the HSE said.
“Because eating disorders tend to develop at a relatively young age, they result in very high psychosocial, healthcare and socioeconomic cost over the lifespan. Quality of life for people with eating disorders can be poor with significant impact on education and occupation. However, early intervention and specialised treatment programmes have been shown to be effective in improving clinical outcomes, promoting recovery and shortening the duration of illness.
“A challenge is that the clinical needs of this group cross the traditional divide between mental and physical health services. They therefore require an integrated approach to service provision. Barriers to recovery and access to services also include societal misunderstanding as to the causes of eating disorders, which have both genetic and environmental influences. This can lead to stigma and delay in seeking help. A relative lack of access to specialised training in eating disorders for clinicians can also lead to delay in access to services and appropriate evidence-based treatment.”
The HSE’s new recommended model of care, which includes creating hubs, has been devised by an inter-professional national working group of HSE clinicians, in collaboration with Bodywhys and the Eating Disorder Clinical Advisory Group from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
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