Eating Disorders Awareness Week takes place 28 February to 6 March. The international awareness event fights the myths and misunderstandings that surround anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder (BED) and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS).
NHS Lanarkshire’s tertiary eating disorders specialist service (TESS) is supporting this year’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week by focussing on raising awareness of upcoming eating disorder training that will be delivered to support staff working in all areas, to improve their knowledge and skills in working with patients with eating disorders.
Training Opportunities
NHS Lanarkshire’s TESS is promoting upcoming eating disorder training that will be available for a wide range of health professionals later this year. Training will include:
- Beyond the Symptoms’ delivered by BEAT – the UK leading eating disorder charity (https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/)
This is a tailored education package for various groups of health and medical professionals. The package aims to ensure that participants understand the importance and prevalence of eating disorders, how to spot and respond to the early warning signs, signpost to eating disorder services and overcome service user resistance. Booking for the course will be via learnPro. Dates from April onwards will be released this month via the staff briefing.
- ‘Life Skills’ delivered by The Decider (https://www.thedecider.org.uk/)
The course consists of 12 cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills to enhance distress management skills delivered by clinicians to the individuals and groups who they support. The course offers the flexibility of completion over a two-month period. Bookings will open in April. Details on how to book will follow.
Dr Katherine Morton, consultant psychiatrist, TESS, said: “We are seeing more people with eating disorders present to services than ever before. It is extremely important that staff have the correct knowledge and skills, relevant to their role to support people with eating disorders. Alongside service development, we believe the training planned for this year will support staff to understand and work with these patients better and, ultimately, improve the experience and outcomes for patients with eating disorders in NHS Lanarkshire.
Further information on the courses will feature in a staff briefing over the coming weeks.
Further Information
In recent years, there has been increased national attention on services for patients with eating disorders in Scotland. The Scottish Government National Review of Eating Disorder Services was published in 2021 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-review-eating-disorder-services/) and the SIGN Eating Disorder Guidance was published in 2022 (https://www.sign.ac.uk/media/1920/sign-164-eating-disorders.pdf). The publications highlighted an increase in patients presenting with eating disorders secondary to the Covid 19 pandemic and the increasing evidence base for early intervention to improve prognosis.
The Scottish Government has released funds from its mental health recovery and renewal fund to support and improve services treating patients with eating disorders. NHS Lanarkshire’s TESS recognises that patients with eating disorders are seen by staff within primary and secondary care, generic child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult mental health services and specialist eating disorder services. It seeks to support staff working in all areas, to improve their knowledge and skills in working with patients with eating disorders.
