Assessing risk:

Thorough physical health checks are regularly undertaken by our service to ensure the safety of your child, however, there may be some cases where your child is asked to attend your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department for a medical review. This could be due to the physical health or mental health complications that are commonly associated with eating disorders.

Why might a young person need to attend A&E?

Some young people with eating disorders may experience thoughts to end their lives and attempt to significantly harm themselves. If you are concerned that your child may be at significant risk of harming themselves, we recommend that you attend A&E.

If you notice a deterioration in your child’s physical health or if advised by your EDS clinician, then please attend A&E for a physical health review.

What should I do if I need to attend A&E?

If you do need to attend A&E please take them by your regular mode of transport, if this will be the least distressing and safest option for the young person. If this is not possible, we advise that you ring 999 and request that an ambulance attends. We recommend that all young people should attend the A&E department with their parent / carer.

How EDS supports attendance to A&E:

Any referral to our service that meets emergency criteria will be triaged on the day and support will be given around how to access urgent medical care.

If you have been asked to attend A&E and information needs to be shared, then your EDS clinician will aim to provide you with a supporting letter or liaise with the A&E department in preparation for your arrival. Following discharge from hospital, the young person will be asked to attend our service for a follow up appointment and physical health review.

Paediatric Wards

We have developed pathways with our local NHS hospitals to provide a high standard of care for the specific needs of young people with eating disorders.

While rare, in some cases, your child may require a brief admission to a paediatric ward to help stabilise their physical health. If your child has not yet been assessed by our service, a clinician may choose to assess your child whilst they are on the ward. If emergency medical care is required, our CAMHS clinicians will regularly liaise and review your child’s care plan with the paediatric team to support the admission. As a parent / carer you will be regularly included and informed on any clinical decisions that are made about your child’s care.

INTERACT:

Your child may be referred to INTERACT for additional support alongside EDS. This is a mental health community support service for young people aged 12-18. The INTERACT outreach service may be asked to provide support during a young person’s admission to general hospital ward or their visit to A&E.