Adults with eating disorders in England are waiting up to 700 days for treatment, according to the first report from the National Audit of Eating Disorders (NAED). The audit, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership and funded by NHS England, examined access to eating disorder services across the country.
The report found a significant disparity between child and adult services. On average, adults waited twice as long as children for an assessment and more than ten times as long for treatment. For adults, the national median wait was 28 days for assessment and 42 days for treatment, with some waiting up to 700 days. In contrast, children and young people had a median wait of 14 days for assessment and four days for treatment, though some waited up to 450 days.
The audit identified 93 community teams and 54 inpatient teams for children, compared with 69 community teams and 33 inpatient teams for adults. Overall, 3,855 people were waiting for an assessment and 4,537 for treatment. Of community teams with waiting lists, 71% cited demand exceeding capacity as the main reason.
Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at the eating disorder charity Beat, called the audit a “vital first step” but expressed concern over the “growing disparity” between child and adult services. He highlighted a “postcode lottery” for conditions like binge eating disorder, ARFID, and night eating syndrome, and urged for better access to intensive community or day services.
An NHS England spokesperson acknowledged the need for improvement, stating: “We are determined to make sure that everyone across all ages receives quick access to support that is consistent across the country.” They noted that every local health system now has at least one specialist eating disorder service for adults and children.
