Mark Isherwood MS called on the Welsh Government to provide an update on progress to improve services.
He highlighted that at least 62,500 people in Wales are affected by eating disorders and raised concerns about variation in access to specialist treatment across the country. He also stressed the importance of strengthening early intervention and expanding lived experience-led peer support, asking how these approaches will be embedded consistently across NHS services.
Following this, the Welsh Government published a written statement from the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy MS, outlining current work to improve eating disorder services. This includes continued funding for Beat’s Wales Helpline and services, the development of a national early intervention service specification, and a new e-learning course for healthcare professionals to improve understanding of eating disorders.
In our response, we welcomed the focus on early intervention as a positive step forward. However, we highlighted that clear timelines, strong national leadership and sustained investment will be essential to ensure that improvements are delivered consistently across Wales so that everyone can access the support they need.
Alongside this, Julie Morgan MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Mental Health and Eating Disorders, delivered a statement in the Senedd to mark the week. She emphasised the importance of community support in helping people to seek help earlier and reduce isolation.
She also recognised the role of organisations like Beat in providing vital support and called for greater awareness of the services available, so that no one faces an eating disorder alone.
This activity reflects growing recognition of the need to strengthen eating disorder services in Wales. We will continue to work with decision makers to ensure that commitments are translated into meaningful improvements in care and support.
Here is a link to the transcript of the 90-second statement
You can also watch a recording of the statement