Ward calls for funding of eating disorder services

Sinn Féin TD and party spokesperson on mental health, Mark Ward has called on the Minister for Health to invest additional funding into eating disorder services for 2024.

Ward relayed a report from the HSE that stated there is a need for 6 additional eating disorder teams across Ireland.

“The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders is now waiting on funding to be announced in the HSE national service plan,” Ward said.

The National Model of Care for Eating Disorders was published by the HSE in 2018, with the aim to establish 8 adult and 8 CAMHS eating disorder teams.

At present, there are 11 teams in operation, but Ward notes that there are staffing issues due to a pause on recruitment.

“To date, no additional funding has been allocated to eating disorders in 2024 mental health budgets,” the Dublin Mid-West TD said.

“Sinn Fein in Government would fully fund the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders as laid out in our alternative budget

“There is still an opportunity for the Minister for Health towards the end of his term to allocate additional funding for the development of 2-3 additional teams this year. This was the pace at which the model of care set out to achieve its network of teams and had funding been allocated in the last two years, the network would have been fully established.

“Specialist Eating Disorder teams have been associated with faster recovery, higher patient satisfaction, lower costs, lower rates of inpatient admission and better case identification – to find out there is no additional funding this year is very concerning,” he said.

Ward noted that eating disorders have the highest mortality of any psychiatric diagnosis.

“There are currently only 3 public inpatient beds for adults with eating disorders in the state. I have highlighted previously that there is no plan currently to extend that number.

“It has been 6 years since the Model of Care Plan for Eating Disorders was published and yet the Government is doing nothing to deliver on this.

“This Model of Care was originally a five-year plan, to be implemented by 2023; the time for planning has passed, now we need action. Minister Donnelly now must fund these plans and deliver on his promises.”