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Policy

Mental health

From
Director-General Health and Social Care
Directorate
Mental Health Directorate
Topic
Health and social care
Policy actions  11 of 11

Eating disorders

Eating disorders can severely affect physical health, mental wellbeing, and daily life. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to support for anyone affected by eating disorders across Scotland. Our work continues to deliver on the recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services.

The National Review of Eating Disorder Services, commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2020, published its final report and recommendations in March 2021. An Implementation Group was later formed to plan and deliver these recommendations, publishing its progress report in April 2023.

We have made significant progress on the short-term recommendations, including the development of the national specification for eating disorder services (November 2024). This specification ensures person-centred, safe, and effective care for children, young people, and adults. It was shaped by expert input and feedback from the Eating Disorders Lived Experience Panel. The specification covers all stages of treatment—from primary care to specialist inpatient services—and complements the core mental health standards (September 2023).

National Eating Disorders Network

We have also set up the National Eating Disorders Network. This network drives improvements in training, skills development, and public health strategies, and supports the implementation of the national specification for eating disorder services.

We continue to collaborate with NHS health boards and third-sector organisations across Scotland to expand and enhance eating disorder services, ensuring high-quality support is accessible to all, at every stage of recovery.

Support and guidance

  • NHS inform is Scotland’s national health information service aiming to provide the people in Scotland with accurate and relevant information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for. See information available to support those impacted by eating disorders.
  • the Scottish Government continue to provide Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, with over £600,000 in 2024 to 2025 to provide a range of support services for those impacted by an eating disorder, including:
    • Helpline - A dedicated phone line for Scotland providing support by telephone on 0808 801 0432 and via webchat, email and social media
    • Momentum - Guided self-help for adults with binge eating disorder. A programme of 8 weekly phone calls based on Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr Christopher Fairburn.
    • Nexus - 12 sessions of skills-based coaching for carers based on the New Maudsley Method
    • Anchor - 12 sessions of skills-based coaching for carers of a young person with ARFID
    • Endeavour - Support group for carers of a young person with ARFID
    • Developing Dolphins - 8-week workshop for carers based on the New Maudsley method
    • Harnessing Hope - 5-week workshop for carers of someone with a long-term eating disorder
    • Beyond the Symptoms - One day CPD accredited training for healthcare professionals
    • Spotting the Signs - One day CPD accredited training to support secondary school staff to identify and act on the early signs of an eating disorder
    • Bridging the Gap - One day CPD accredited training for university professionals to improve early intervention rates for students with eating disorders
  • Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is part of the Evidence Directorate of Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Their aim is to create accessible recommendations that improve care in Scotland and provide recommendations based on current evidence for best practice in the management of people with eating disorders of all ages and gender groups, in any health or social care setting.
  • the Royal college of Psychiatrists (RCPSYCH) published guidance on recognition and management of medical emergencies in eating disorders. The aim is to help tackle the serious harms, up to and including death, associated with eating disorders.
  • Public Health Scotland commissioned a study aiming to explore and understand the perspectives of individuals with lived experience of eating disorders in relation to eating out of home (OOH). This includes their experiences of eating OOH currently, the perceived impact calorie labelling in these settings would have on them and, where appropriate, how their experience of calorie labelling could be improved.
  • the charity SupportED, previously known as Linda Tremble Foundation, work in communities across Scotland to support people with an eating disorder, their families and carers.
  • the Scottish Government aims to ensure that everyone has timely access to high-quality, person-centred, evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions to improve health, mental health and well-being. The Matrix supports this by providing guidance on effective, accessible delivery, ensuring the right therapy is provided at the right time by a well-trained workforce.
  • Turas is NHS Education for Scotland’s (NES) single unified digital platform. Eating disorders learning on TURAS is publicly available
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