Recruitment difficulties hit rollout of care model for people with eating disorders 

The HSE responded to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin that it has been impacted by challenges in recruitment and retention, especially for consultant psychiatrists and dieticians. Picture: iStock

The rollout of a new model of care for people with eating disorders is being hit by difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff including psychiatrists and dieticians, according to the HSE.

Under a 2018 memorandum of care, eight adult and eight child and adolescent teams were to be set up across the country by this year. However, just five have been completed, with a further four currently in the process of being established. Over €8m has been allocated for eating disorder posts through Programme for Government funding, according to the HSE.

In answer to parliamentary questions put down by Sinn Féin mental health spokesman Mark Ward, the HSE’s national clinical adviser and group lead for mental health clinical design and innovation, Amir Niazi, said: “The recruitment process has been impacted by the challenges in recruitment and retention experienced currently across the health service especially for consultant psychiatrists and dieticians. 

"Despite this, all CHOs (community healthcare areas) who have been allocated funding remain committed to recruiting staff and delivering community eating disorder teams."

The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders is working closely with all CHOs to support this recruitment, he said.

Dr Niazi said the allocation of €8m since 2018 resulted in the set-up of the first three Camhs eating disorder teams as well as recruitment for the second phase of two adult teams and another Camhs team.

Funding in 2022 was used for the continued investment in specialist eating disorder posts including a third phase of specialist community team development in two adult teams and one Camhs team, according to Dr Niazi.

He said: “In 2023 no additional funding was provided in HSE national service plan to develop the remaining eating disorder teams or to add additional posts to existing teams where required to meet demand and population serviced.”

Mr Ward said: “Specialist eating disorder teams have been associated with faster recovery, higher patient satisfaction, lower costs, lower rates of inpatient admission and better case identification and to find out there is no additional funding this year is very concerning. 

"Eating disorders have the highest mortality of any psychiatric diagnosis. Last week I was told that no additional funding was available for early intervention psychosis teams and this week it is the same answer for eating disorder teams.”

In recent days, the minister with responsibility for mental health, Mary Butler, accused eating disorder support organisation Bodywhys of being “factually incorrect” in a row over funding.

She was responding to a statement issued by Bodywhys in which it expressed “profound shock and disappointment that public specialist eating disorders services will receive no funding in 2023”. 

The statement called on the minister to “intervene immediately over the lack of funding”.

• Support and helplines: Bodywhys on 01-2107906 or by email to [e-mail]. Also see the HSE Eating Disorder Self Care app.