https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/department-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-dcamh/national-feeding-and-eating-disorders-service/about-feeding-and-eating-disorders-service/
About the Feeding and Eating Disorders Service
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. As a National service, our team works in partnership with local professionals and services to allow for joined up working; aiding the support and care of children and young people referred to us. Please see our Meet the Team page for more information.
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, and/or shape
- specific fears (e.g., vomiting, choking) impacting eating
- sensory sensitivities
- a lack of interest in food and/or eating
- comorbid mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., 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:
- are dependent on enteral feeding (e.g., nasogastric tubes) or nutritional supplement dependent
When considering a referral please review the referral criteria.
The children and young people that are referred to us should have had support from local professionals (e.g., dietitians, paediatrics, CAMHS) prior to being considered for a National service. Please note, children or young people that have historical or current complex medical conditions or any ongoing symptoms (e.g., vomiting or constipation) need to be medically managed prior to referring.
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.