Are you (or someone you know) struggling to access the eating disorder support or treatment you need? We might be able to help.
We have an advocacy service that offers different types of support. This page refers to our politician advisory service, but we also have a casework service and letter-writing service.
When people try to access treatment, there are lots of different clinical guidelines that say what this treatment and information should look like. Sometimes, these guidelines aren’t followed because of pressures on services, or because there isn’t enough understanding of eating disorders.
Reaching out to an elected representative might not be something you’ve considered before and it can feel scary, but they are there to represent you and to help with issues including those affecting your health and wellbeing.
Contacting your elected representative can sometimes prompt your GP, Health Trust/Board, or eating disorder service to review a decision about your care. Politicians can raise concerns on your behalf and ask questions that encourage services to take another look.
Elected representatives are often very knowledgeable about their area that they represent but sometimes they aren’t sure how best to challenge decisions relating to eating disorder care. That’s where we come in. We support elected representatives with clear information and guidance, so they can effectively support you get the treatment you deserve.
If you're an elected representative, head to our 'Advisory Service for Politicians' page to learn how you can support your constituents.
Our aim is simple. We want to make sure that anyone who has been unreasonably denied a referral, assessment, evidence-based treatment or clear information has that decision reviewed and, where appropriate, overturned as quickly as possible.
We do this by supporting elected representatives to raise concerns effectively and challenge decisions using the relevant clinical guidelines.
Your elected representative often has strong relationships with NHS leaders in your area. That connection can make a real difference in ensuring decisions are looked at again promptly and fairly.
You can contact your elected representative at any time if you are worried about the care you, or someone you support is receiving. Elected representatives typically have a small team of staff that are dedicated to resolving the concerns or issues that you raise with them.
Our politician advisory service is based on the understanding that clinical guidelines represent best practice. These guidelines help clinicians decide what treatment and support should be offered. We always hope that treatment is being offered in accordance with what the guidelines that, however, we know this is not always the case.
If you believe a decision has been made against the guidelines and have spoken to your elected representative, you can tell them or a member of their team about this service. They can then get in touch with our Politician Advisory Service - we have explained how they can do this at the bottom of this page.
We can provide them with the information they need to challenge that decision appropriately. This can include what the guidelines say about your circumstances and who they contact to challenge the decision.
If the decision that your clinician or service has made has been in line with the guidelines, we will let the politician know. If, despite this, you are still unhappy with the treatment you are receiving or with the lack of treatment, your politician can also support you to raise a formal complaint if that is something you choose to do. They are usually very familiar with the complaints process and can guide and support you through it.
Where you live will determine which politician you should contact.
In England, you can contact your MP (Member of Parliament). To find the email address and phone number of your MP, you can head to the Parliament website.
In Scotland, you can contact your MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament). You will have one constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs. You can choose which MSP you would prefer to contact, but we advise you to only contact one, otherwise this could cause delays. You can find the email addresses and phone numbers of your MSPs on the Scottish Parliament website.
In Wales, you can contact your MS (Member of the Senedd). You have a choice of six regional MS’ that you can contact, but we advise you to only contact one, otherwise this could cause delays. To find the email address and phone number of your MS, head to the Senedd website.
In Northern Ireland, you can contact your MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly). Each region of Northern Ireland has five MLA so you can choose with MLA you would prefer to contact, but we advise you to only contact one, otherwise this could cause delays. To find the email address and phone number of your MLAs, head to the NI Assembly website.
You will often have a choice on how you would like to speak to your politician: email, letter, by phone, or in person.
We have created a template letter you can use when contacting your politician about eating disorder support or treatment.
The letter also includes information about our advisory service for politicians. We can work with your local politician to help make sure you, or your loved one, gets the support they deserve and that care follows clinical guidelines.
We have different template letters depending on where you live.
Please do not hesitate to contact our Helpline team who are happy to answer any questions that you may have relating to our advocacy services.