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Eating Disorders Outpatient Service

  • The service offers an assessment, treatment and liaison service for people with moderate to severe eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and anorexia nervosa.

  • Base: Springfield University Hospital
  • Service Contact: adultseatingdisordersteam@swlstg.nhs.uk
  • Service Category: Community
  • Disabled access: Yes, Trinity Building has step free access
  • Address: Trinity Building,  Springfield University Hospital,  15 Springfield Drive, London, SW17 0YF
  • Reception hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm
  • Reception phone number: 0203 513 4425

About our care

The service offers a range of interventions in the form of psychological therapies (group and individual), medical monitoring and outreach work. The service also works closely with primary care services offering training to clinicians and providing advice, support and signposting to those who do not meet the threshold for the service.

The service follows the principles of the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) service model. The aim is to reduce the duration of an untreated eating disorder by offering rapid support to 18 to 25-year-olds who have had an eating disorder for three years or less and are presenting to an eating disorders service for the first time.

Interventions include: 

  • Congnitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-ED) — a group for Bulimia Nervosa
  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy
  • Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA)
  • Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills group for Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder
  • Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
  • Motivational and psycho-educational groups
  • Medical monitoring clinic for those open to our service and receiving treatment
  • Family therapy
  • Multidisciplinary input including specialist dietetics, outreach and social work alongside the above treatments
  • Occupational therapy assessments including ADL (activities of daily living) and sensory profiling. 

Enhanced Treatment Team

The Enhanced Treatment Team (ETT) sits within the outpatient service and provides a local alternative to inpatient treatment and by nature is less restrictive. The ETT supports discharges from wards, reduces admissions to inpatient wards and works to reduce length of stay. Treatment and support is provided in patients’ homes and in the local community.

Who is this service for?

The service is for adults over 18 years with moderate to severe eating disorders including bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and anorexia nervosa.

Referrals and access

Referrals from GPs are sent via the Electronic Referral Service (e-RS). All other professional referral forms are sent by email to adultseatingdisordersteam@swlstg.nhs.uk.

Resources

Resources for individuals with an Eating Disorder 

The UK’s Eating Disorder Charity

 Books:

  • Rehabilitate, Rewire, Recover! Anorexia recovery for the determined adult by Tabitha Farrar
  • Supporting Autistic People with Eating Disorders: A Guide to Adapting Treatment and Supporting Recovery by Kate Tchanturia
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders in Young People: A Parent’s Guide by Riccardo Grave and Carine Khazen.

 Online skills resources:

 Support and resources for carers, family and friends

A carer can be relatives including parents, children, siblings, partners, or friends. 

Why it’s important you receive support as a carer:

  • Being a carer comes with its own set of challenges and its essential to address the psychological and emotional stress and difficulties you may face. May carers express feeling burnt out or struggling to cope whilst supporting someone with an eating disorder.
  • An increasing number of studies have highlighted the importance of families/carers being part of the solution to their loved ones eating disorder. Being actively involved in treatment through workshops and other services can enhance their motivation, increase engagement, and lower the chances of relapse.

What we offer:

Our aim is to ensure you have access to psychological, emotional, social, and practical support whilst you are caring for someone with an eating disorder.

Practical support:

As a carer you are eligible for a review to see what support is available to you. It may be that nothing tangible comes from the review, but the assessment and opportunity to ask questions can be helpful in itself.  A carers assessment could recommend advice about benefits, help with taxi fares, manual handling advice, links to local support groups, respite care or support for short breaks, help with gardening and housework, and gym memberships or exercise groups to relieve stress. Any carer aged under 18 is legally a child and would need a referral to Children’s Social Care for further support.

Psychological, social, and emotional support:

We run a variety of in person and online carer skills workshops and support groups. Workshops aim to equip family and friends with techniques, tools and insight to help support your loved one whilst increasing your understanding of the eating disorder.Support groups provide an opportunity to connect and share experiences with others caring for someone with an eating disorder.

Please email  EDSCarersSupport@swlstg.nhs.uk  to find out more information about dates and how to book on to workshops and support groups or any other general queries or concerns.

Books and Online resources:

  • Skills-based learning for caring for a loved one with an eating disorder:  The New Maudsley Method  – Janet Treasure, Grainne Smith & Anna Crane.
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