The North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT, a merger of BEH and CANDI) St Ann's Eating Disorder Service is a national specialist service providing care and treatment to adults with a primary (moderate-to-severe) diagnosis of an eating disorder. It offers inpatient care, a day programme and community services, including treatment and assessment.

Outpatient treatment

The specialist eating disorder outpatient service provides assessment and NICE-recommended treatments for patients experiencing a range of moderate-to-severe eating disorder symptoms.

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) consists of consultant psychiatrists, specialty doctors, dieticians, psychologists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists and peer support workers.

Family therapists and peer support workers can also be contacted by other services for consultation and queries regarding eating disorder management.

The treatments provided are: 

• specialist supportive clinical management
• Maudsley model of anorexia nervosa treatment for adults 
• individual cognitive behavioural therapy
• bulimia recovery group 
• recovery from binge eating disorder group 
• dietetic nutritional insight group 
• medical reviews 
• occupational therapy assessment and treatment (as part of an intensive package for severe and enduring eating disorders patients and for first episode rapid early intervention for eating disorders patients)
• physical health monitoring (available for a limited amount of time for patients who require regular monitoring with eating disorder specific support for medical stabilisation)
• weekly peer support group
• individual peer support sessions (up to three sessions).

Inpatient treatment

The Iris Ward is a 15-bed acute inpatient unit for adult men and women. It is a purpose-designed adult eating disorder ward that provides treatment for critically unwell patients with eating disorders who are in need of refeeding and medical stabilisation.

Treatment is provided by an extensive MDT, including:

• medics
• nurses
• occupational therapists
• dietitians
• psychologists
• activity coordinators
• social workers
• art therapists
• family therapists.

The Iris Ward is part of the North London Adult Eating Disorders Collaborative, in which it shares joint inpatient commissioning and bed management.

Day programme

The day programme is a group-based programme available to patients across England. It provides intensive six-week group treatment for patients with an eating disorder, as well as the opportunity for intensive intervention in the community, enabling choices for the least restrictive environment for care.

The team includes input from nurses, occupational therapists, associate mental health workers, medics, art therapists, psychologists and dietitians.

Alongside the group programme, the structure of the day programme is based around supported meals and snacks.

The aims of the day programme are:

• to provide a specialist evidence-based and patient-collaborative treatment for anorexia nervosa
• to offer a step-down programme from the inpatient ward, with a focus on transitions
• to offer a step-up programme for those at risk of an admission 
• to ensure that restoration of a normal eating pattern and a healthy weight is linked with psychological improvement and recovery
• weight restoration
• normalisation of eating behaviour and reduction of eating disorder behaviours and symptoms
• to increase psychological understanding of eating disorder behaviour
• practical and psychological processes for making and maintaining changes to disordered eating, thoughts and behaviours
• to support integration into the community and plan for post treatment support, which may or may not be within the service.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• aged 18+
• primary diagnosis of an eating disorder (moderate to severe).

How to Refer

Locations

St Ann's Eating Disorder Service