Feeding and Eating Disorders Service

We’re a national specialist service that works with local teams to support children and young people with feeding and eating difficulties. These can include conditions such as Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Some children we see may also have dietary challenges linked to neurodevelopmental or medical conditions.

We’re a mental health service, not a primarily medical one. That’s why we work closely with local teams who manage medical care and risk factors.

Our team is represented by various disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, family therapy, nursing, and dietetics. We also have consultation from disciplines such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and paediatrics.

Find out more about the Feeding and Eating Disorder team.

We meet with children and young people aged 0-16 who have significant difficulties with their eating alongside their families. Some of the young people we see meet the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), others may have dietary difficulties in the context of or cooccurring with neurodevelopmental and/or medical conditions.

We see children and young people who have a restricted food intake for a variety of reasons, including:

• fear of weight gain
• concerns about body image, weight, or shape
• specific fears (for example, vomiting, choking) impacting eating
• sensory sensitivities
• a lack of interest in food and/or eating
• comorbid mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions (for example anxiety, ASD, ADHD)
• comorbid medical conditions or complex medical histories
• difficult past experiences which may have affected food intake

We also sometimes see children who:

• require support to transition away from enteral feeding (tube-weaning)

We provide a range of support, including:

• liaising with local services
• training for schools
• parent intervention groups
• family-based therapy
• individual behavioural therapy
• parent-delivered therapy
• individual and group sensory desensitisation
• dietary support

If you’d like to refer a child or young person to our team:

• Check our referral criteria
• Complete our referral form and email: gos-tr.pamhs@nhs.net

Referrals can be made by CAMHS clinicians and Paediatricians.

Find out more about making referrals to the Feeding and Eating Disorders Service.

Patients who require inpatient or day-patient treatment should be admitted according to local care pathways or referred to the Mildred Creak inpatient unit, subject to meeting referral criteria and with agreement from local providers

Reference: 1225WAD0026