Hi everyone!
This week we received an extremely frustrating response from Maria Caulfield completely dismissing all our concerns about eating disorders!
We need to not only keep momentum going but also ensure that we are keeping pressure and noise going! You can see the response here
This is why I am asking you to take 2 minutes to copy and paste the below email and send it to the Minister so we can full up her inbox.
thanks so much!
Email to: MPcorrespondence@dhsc.gov.uk AND DHSC.publicenquiries@dhsc.gov.uk
Dear Maria Caulfield MP,
I am writing to you in your role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health following your recent correspondence with Campaigner and Founder of #DumpTheScales, Hope Virgo. The letter you sent to Hope was extremely frustrating to read, disheartening and completely ignored the urgency of this issue.
Hope wrote to you at the start of April with a letter signed by over 1800 people, and again on the 27 April with a letter signed by a number of MPs and Peers from all political parties. These letters both highlighted the current state of eating disorder treatment across the U.K, sharing the frustrations and concerns of those who have had treatment withdrawn. The reality is, that since 2023, we have seen a growing trend of people being denied treatment and told they are too complex, or not motivated enough to be helped. We have seen people being told they are untreatable and in some instances being moved on to palliative care pathways. This is a new and worrying trend that seems to be increasingly normalised around the country, despite all good practice guidelines.
Even though it is widely known that eating disorders are becoming increasingly common and that they bring an added mortality risk, this national emergency is not being addressed.
You wrote in your letter back to Hope Virgo that ' The NHS is clear that people with severe, complex or enduring eating disorders should have access to evidence-based treatments focused on helping them recover, including hospital-based care if appropriate' so my question to you is why is this not happening? Why are people with eating disorders who have been ill for a long time having treatment withdrawn? Why are people with eating disorders being told 'they are not working hard enough' and being moved on to palliative care? This is happening all over the UK with official pathways in place in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Black Country partnerships. We need a public statement from you and NHSE to show support for people with Severe Enduring Eating Disorders so that we can ensure that treatment is not withdrawn.
In your response to Hope Virgo, you talked about the record funding going into mental health services, none of this money has been ring fenced for eating disorders. When will adequate investment be made to both children and adult eating disorder services to meet the demand?
You talked about the importance of early intervention, which I agree is vital within eating disorders, but what about those who have had eating disorders for a long period of time? Those who are desperate to get well but can't access treatment because they don't fit neatly into a BMI bracket?
The ambitions set in waiting times are a good step forward, but what this doesn't take into account is that whilst people might be seen within 1 or 2 weeks, they will then be put onto a waiting list for therapy for years with no interim support.
The majority of patients are working age and although eating disorders can be life threatening, high quality integrated treatment can achieve good outcomes even in severe and complex cases.
Hope's letter had 5 clear asks which I urge you to revisit as none of which were touched on in your letter back. So, I am writing to you today to ask for a proper response because no one with an eating disorder should be dying in 2024 and you have the chance in your role to make a difference to the lives of thousands. We need your leadership to help make this change.
I look forward to hearing from you
Best wishes