More than 60% increase in hospital admissions of young people with eating disorders 

Psychiatrists are regularly unable to find a specialist bed for their patients, which means they are placed on general wards instead. Picture: iStock

There was a more than 60% increase in young people being admitted to hospital with eating disorders last year, and the figure may even be higher but is being masked by bed shortages.

This is according to an analysis by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) of studies around paediatric hospitals and in-patient care through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs).

The IHCA found a 61% increase in admissions last year, but warned: “The shortage of Camhs inpatient beds means many of these younger patients are being treated in general paediatric beds in 19 units across the country and are not being captured in the mental health data.” 

Psychiatrists are regularly unable to find a specialist bed for their patients, which means they are placed on general wards instead.

Chair of the IHCA psychiatry committee Dr Anne Doherty said at the launch of the association’s pre-budget submission: “We all make decisions every day about who is sick enough to warrant that bed of the four people in front of us. Ideally, you would admit all four.” 

The analysis of studies carried out in 2020 found: “Of the 486 children admitted to the specialist Camhs units nationally in 2020, 87 (18%) had a diagnosis of eating disorders, up from 54 (11%) in 2019 – a 61% increase year on year.” 

One study showed a 66% increase in “medically unwell young people with eating disorders needing admission” at just one hospital.

Emergency departments

The four Camhs inpatient units are in Cork, Galway and Dublin, which leaves many families relying on emergency departments for help.

The IHCA warned “many more” young people with eating disorders attended emergency departments last year.

Paediatric emergency medicine consultant at Temple Street Children's Hospital Dr Ike Okafor said: “Since 2006 we have seen a tenfold increase in the number of children coming to our EDs in an acute mental health crisis.” 

He said “every single day we expect at least one or two patients”, and they arrive in crisis.

Instead of 16 eating disorder services, as recommended in a HSE review completed in 2018, there are just three and all are “significantly understaffed” the IHCA found.

The consultants described as “unacceptable” that there are only three adult eating disorder beds, all at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. That same review recommended 23 nationally.

The IHCA called for “designated, ring-fenced budgets” to develop national clinical programmes for eating disorders as one of its five main recommendations.

The submission urged: “Our children deserve safely staffed Camhs community teams and specialist services in line with the self-harm and eating disorder programmes in the community.”