Question reference: S5W-24288
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 July 2019
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a national strategy for eating disorders.
Answer
The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a national strategy for eating disorders. However we are firmly committed to further improving the support available for people living with an eating disorder in Scotland.
During Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2019 we announced that there will be Scottish-specific Guidelines on the management and treatment of eating disorders, which will be produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). These new guidelines will take into account and focus on the cultural and geographical make up of Scotland. Previous guidelines have not considered the specific needs of Scotland in the same way. When the SIGN guidelines are published, we will have a Scotland-specific blueprint for the treatment of eating disorders which we will expect to be carefully followed.
Our ten year Mental Health Strategy contained a specific action to fund a digital peer support service to support young people with an eating disorder. This is delivered by NHS Lothian and Beat. It was relaunched during Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2019 to include the addition of a telephone coaching service for parents and carers.
Through this funding, NHS Lothian and Beat also developed the Cared website. This award winning website provides information about eating disorders in an innovative way to those with an eating disorder and their family and friends.