South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association "deluged" with new referrals during pandemic
They're backing calls for more funding for early intervention
We're told eating disorder services in South Yorkshire are being "overwhelmed" with demand during the pandemic.
There are fresh calls for more funding to go into early intervention as more and more people present to experts with more serious issues because they haven't been treated early.
South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association says its waiting list is longer now than it's ever been.
Chief Exec Chris Hood tells us the situation's worrying:
"As a service we have a greater capacity now than we've ever had. But despite that greater capacity we have more people waiting longer than at any point - I've been here for eight years and I've never experienced this level of demand.
"If someone presents and they have annorexia and we're not in a position to be able help them then there's a distinct and very real probably that they will become even more underweight. We run the risk as a health sector of not responding quickly enough.
"There are a large number of people - more than before - who are in the Northern General Hospital receiving medical attention because of being severely underweight whilst there is a wait for appropriate beds in specialist inpatient facilities around the country which are currently overwhelmed with demand."
It comes as Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake has written to the government again urging them to put more money in to eating disorder support.
She originally wrote to the Chancellor before the Budget and has now followed up to the Health Secretary.
She says:
"The urgent need for funding has never been more apparent. The Government must stop ignoring this growing crisis."
South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association says it has received emergency funding from a number of different sources during Covid which has allowed it to expand its team to create more capacity.
But the charity says it needs more long-term funding solutions because the increase in demand is unlikely to end soon.
Chris tells us it could have serious repercussions if not dealt with:
"We could be in a situation by the end of this financial year where we end up losing a significant proportion of our staff because as an organisation we have no way of guaranteeing our capacity into the next financial year.
"This isn't a short-term blip. This could be something, if we don't address it now, could create some significant problems for many many hundreds of people and more over the next few years."
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social said:
"We know just how important it is that people with an eating disorder get the support they need when they need it.
“We are investing more each year in community eating disorder services for adults, children and young people. We know early intervention is vital which is why NHS England is launching early intervention services for young people with eating disorders meaning they could begin treatment within two weeks.
“We have also provided the largest funding increase in NHS history to expand and transform mental health services, with an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 through the NHS Long Term Plan and training for a new dedicated mental health workforce for schools and colleges.”