More than £2m to help people with eating disorders

Suzanne Cole, from the trust, said an increasing number of people were coming forward for help

Investment of more than £2m will help to improve care for people with eating disorders in Surrey.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said the £2.2m would enhance the care for those most at risk of severe illness and meant people could access help earlier and closer to home.

Part of the money has already been used to create new clinical roles and launch the trust's enhanced treatment team, which it said provided support for people at high risk of being admitted to hospital.

The funding has been provided by the Surrey Heartlands Provider Collaborative - a partnership between four trusts across Surrey and Sussex.

The enhanced treatment team also supports people as they recover and transition back into society.

The money comes as the trust says the number of people in Surrey seeking help for eating disorders remains high, as it does nationally, and that those who come forward are doing so with severe symptoms requiring "more intensive support".

Suzanne Cole, associate director for all-age eating disorders services at the trust, said: "The introduction of the enhanced treatment team has already made a real difference to adults with severe eating disorders in Surrey.

"It is early days but we expect to see fewer and shorter hospital admissions and more people receiving personalised care at the right time closer to home.

"This marks the start of a significant transformation programme for our adult eating disorders service that will take two to three years to fully embed and will mean we can better meet the needs of people with eating disorders in Surrey."

The funding is also supporting new digital systems, allowing staff to work more efficiently and helping to reduce waiting times for treatment.

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