The review will include looking at how and where we provide specialist inpatient adult eating disorder care as well as how we develop community services.
We know that the need for admission to our adult eating disorder inpatient beds has reduced significantly across the region over recent years.
This, along with the expansion of our community-based alternatives, means there is a reduced need for inpatient care.
National guidance makes it clear that services should:
- Provide early intervention
- Deliver care in the least restrictive setting possible
- Know when to use inpatient care only
- Strengthen community and intensive alternatives
We want to understand what is working well and what is not, what could improve, and what might happen if nothing changes.
It’s important we look at different options and listen to people’s views to make sure our services provide the right support for people when they need it.
We want to hear from you
Adult eating disorder services survey for patients, carers and families
Adult eating disorder services survey for healthcare and local authority partners
There is also an in-person engagement event for patients, carers and families on Thursday 23 April at Roseberry Park Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3AF. There will be two sessions: 12.30pm-1.30pm or 2pm-3pm.
Register to attend the engagement event at Roseberry Park Hospital
We want to hear your views on:
- What matters most when accessing eating disorders services
- The balance between inpatient and community care
- 7-day community and intensive services
- Community-based recovery
- Equity across the areas we provide services in
The engagement process will be open until 30 April 2026.
After this, we will develop a case for change to present some options to our commissioners, taking into consideration what we hear as part of this engagement. At that point, our commissioners will consider whether they progress to formal public consultation on the options provided.
The current service model
Inpatient Services– covers Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust areas
- Birch Ward, West Park Hospital, Darlington: 15 beds.
- Ward 31A at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle: 5 beds. This will close on 31 July 2026. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust has been asked to vacate the site by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to make room for the expansion of urgent and emergency care facilities.
The beds are currently not operating at full capacity. Therefore, we must consider whether current bed numbers reflect local need.
Intensive day services
- Stockton – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
- Newcastle – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
- There is no face-to-face intensive day service covering the Cumbria region
These services offer specialist dietetic input, occupational therapy, structured meal support and psychological treatment.
Intensive day services at home (outreach)
This service provides intensive support within people’s homes. It operates Monday to Friday with no weekend provision. There is less resource in Cumbria compared to the rest of the region. Therefore, we need to ensure equal services across the region and what services would work best.
Community services
We have specialist community eating disorder teams covering the region, which provide:
- Assessment
- Psychological therapies
- Physical health monitoring
- Support from a team of multiple professions
- Care coordination
Investment in intensive day services
Following an investment of approximately £2.6 million in intensive day services, we need to determine how this has contributed to decreased demand of bed occupancy. This has decreased from 97% in 2022/23 to 80% in 2023/24.
We also want to look at comparing patient experience of inpatient and intensive day services.
