Long Waits for Adult Eating Disorder Treatment in England

A recent report from the National Audit of Eating Disorders (NAED) reveals that adults with eating disorders in England are facing significant delays in accessing treatment, with some waiting up to 700 days. The audit, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership and funded by NHS England, highlights a troubling disparity between the services available for children and adults. The findings indicate that adults are waiting, on average, twice as long for assessments and more than ten times longer for treatment compared to children.

The Guardian

The report, which analyzed data collected between January and May 2025, found that there are 93 community teams and 54 inpatient teams dedicated to children and young people, contrasted with only 69 community teams and 33 inpatient teams for adults. The national median wait for community care is 14 days for children and young people for assessment and four days for treatment, while adults face a median wait of 28 days for assessment and 42 days for treatment. Notably, 3,855 adults are currently waiting for an assessment, and 4,537 are awaiting treatment.

The Guardian

The charity Beat has expressed concern over the "growing disparity" in service provision between child and adult care. Tom Quinn, the director of external affairs at Beat, emphasized that while community care staff are striving to support individuals with eating disorders, many patients are met with the harsh reality of limited local support. He noted that the situation is exacerbated by a "postcode lottery" affecting access to treatment for specific eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

The Guardian

In response to the findings, an NHS England spokesperson acknowledged the quicker access to treatment for children but reiterated the commitment to improving access for adults. The spokesperson stated, “Every local health system now has at least one specialist eating disorder service supporting adults and children,” and emphasized the importance of using the report’s findings to reduce waiting times for all patients.

The Guardian

The NHS is urging individuals struggling with eating disorders to reach out to their local GP practices promptly to facilitate quicker access to support. The report is seen as a crucial step towards understanding and improving the current service landscape for eating disorders in England.

The Guardian

“Being able to continue living at home often leads to the best outcomes, which is why we’re calling for everyone who could benefit to be given access to an intensive community or day service close to them.” — NHS England spokesperson

The Guardian

“He added: “It’s particularly worrying to see a growing disparity between child and adult service provision, with longer waiting times, inaccessible or non-existent self-referral options and patchy service availability seen across adult care.” — Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs, Beat

The Guardian

“We know from our community that reaching out for help requires a great deal of courage, so being told that there’s no local support available can be devastating.” — Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs, Beat

The Guardian