Written statement in the Senedd: Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Written statement by Sarah Murphy, Welsh Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing

In recognition of Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I am providing an update on the comprehensive programme of work that we have taken forward to improve eating disorder services in Wales. This week I am calling on health boards to further improve access to timely treatment and focus on early intervention, as we know the positive impact earlier help and support can have for people living with an eating disorder.

In April, I launched our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy which sets out our cross-Government commitment to improve mental health and wellbeing in Wales. Importantly, the strategy is built upon tackling the wider determinants of mental health with a focus on prevention and earlier intervention. This approach is vital, particularly in relation to eating disorders, which are multifactorial and include biological, psychological and social factors. A cross-Government approach is key to ensuring that we tackle underlying issues that can lead to an eating disorder. As such, it is fitting that the theme of this year's Eating Disorders Awareness Week is Community.

Our whole school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing statutory guidance for schools recognises that schools' senior leadership teams need to support the health and well-being of all of their learners through positive well-being environments, good learner–staff relationships and universal and targeted interventions. It also recognises that some patterns of behaviour mean that a child or young person will need more targeted and intensive support, including those children and young people experiencing disordered eating and poor body esteem. Information from Public Health Wales shows that as of February 2026, 96% of schools, including all secondary schools, are now actively action planning to meet their wellbeing needs.

Alongside work to tackle the wider factors that impact mental health, we have taken forward a sustained approach to support people to access support when they most need it. We launched our Seek Help Now campaign that highlights more than 1.25 million people in the UK are affected by eating disorders, but only around a third formally seek help. The Seek Help Now campaign aims to encourage people to seek early help and support for eating disorders and also provide information on the support that is available and how to access it. This information has been made freely available as part of a campaign toolkit for use in healthcare, education and the Third Sector, raising public awareness and making people feel more comfortable in talking about their eating disorder.

We developed and launched a new Foundation Level e-learning course which aims to equip all healthcare staff with the skills to identify and respond to eating disorders effectively and compassionately. The e-learning, which was published by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), has attracted a strong uptake from staff since it was published last year.

We have continued to invest in a range of tier 0/1 support to provide early access to help and advice. These are the universal services which can make a huge impact in preventing greater need. These will play an important role within the open access model which I announced alongside the new strategy. The principle of open access is to get people the care they need when they need it. It recognises that there is not one approach that works for everybody, and there must be a diverse range of accessible care options. This includes continued investment in the BEAT Wales helpline and services to which we have provided over £110,000 again in 2025 to expand the support available in Wales. This not only helps provide early access and advice but supports many people waiting to be seen by more specialist services.

All health boards have expanded their eating disorder services, and we have invested more than £2m in NHS Performance and Improvement to establish a strategic programme for mental health to improve access, quality and outcomes from our mental health services.

In 2025 NHS Performance and Assurance and the Strategic Programme for Mental Health carried out a mapping exercise of adult eating disorder services across Wales. This exercise proposed a number of recommendations which are being taken forward by the Strategic Programme and Community of Practice to develop and improve services in all health boards. Alongside this work, the strategic programme is working with health boards to agree a service specification for early intervention eating disorder services. This will include core standards based on the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) model but also enable health boards to flex the model to meet local needs, which will reduce variation between health board.

Whilst the majority of people with an eating disorder are treated within the community, we recognise in some cases there is a need for inpatient care. In February 2024 we announced that we had secured eight adult eating disorders beds in Wales to ensure more people can access specialist support closer to home. To ensure we have a future model of care to meet need, the NHS Joint Commissioning Committee are working with BEAT and the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the feasibility of providing intensive day treatment services. This includes working with BEAT on a survey of experiences in intensive community and day services, and this will be used as part of the modelling exercise. This modelling exercise is being undertaken to assess capacity and demand across Wales, also giving consideration for newer and emerging service models. I expect the outcome of this work in the spring.

Through the Strategic Programme for mental health, we have also established a Research and Evidence Network. This aims to embed evidence-based solutions into service delivery and to improve outcomes. We want to ensure we have a learning culture and system that all key stakeholders have co-produced, co-own and can sign-up to using new knowledge to deliver better outcomes from our mental health services, including services for eating disorders.

To build on this work, I have written to all health boards to continue this momentum through Executive level leadership to support the development of eating disorder services; to reduce waiting times; and to commit to the implementation of the early intervention service specification when it is available. All health boards have confirmed their commitment to this programme of work, signifying the priority being given to eating disorder services in Wales.