We are looking at the way we provide care in our adult eating disorder services.
The review of the services will include looking at how and where we provide specialist inpatient adult eating disorder provision as well as how we develop community services. We know that the need for admission to our adult eating disorder inpatient beds has reduced significantly across the region over recent years. This, along with the expansion of our community-based alternatives, means there is a reduced need for inpatient care.
National guidance makes it clear that services should:
- Provide early intervention
- Deliver care in the least restrictive setting possible
- When to use inpatient care only
- Strengthen community and intensive alternatives
We want services to work better for the people who use them. We want to understand what is working well and what is not, what could improve, and what might happen if nothing changes.
The changing picture of services is an opportunity to reassess how we provide care. It’s important we look at different options and listen to people’s views to make sure our services provide the right support for people when they need it.
During this period it is also important to highlight the temporary reprovision of the current inpatient service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle (ward 31A). From July this year we will be vacating this site in order to support Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with the capital developments they need to make on their site (currently in the space we occupy for this service). We will be moving to an enhanced intensive community support model during this period with patients who do require inpatient care for their needs being admitted to Darlington (the other specialist inpatient provision we have across the region).
It’s important we look at different options and listen to people’s views to make sure our services provide the right support for people when they need it.
Our current service model
Inpatient Services – covers Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) areas
Commissioned inpatient capacity: 20 beds
- Ward 31A at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle: 5 beds. This will on close on 31 July. We have been asked to vacate the site by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who run the RVI, to make room for the expansion of urgent and emergency care facilities.
- Birch Ward Ward, West Park Hospital, Darlington: 15 beds.
The beds are currently not operating at full capacity. Therefore, we must consider whether current bed numbers reflect local need.
Intensive Day Services (IDS)
- IDS Newcastle – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
- IDS Stockton – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
- There is no face-to-face Intensive Day service covering the Cumbria region
These services offer specialist dietetic input, occupational therapy, structured meal support and psychological treatment.
IDS at Home (Outreach)
This service provides intensive support within people’s homes. It operates Monday to Friday with no weekend provision. There is less resource in Cumbria compared to the rest of the region. Therefore, we need to ensure equal services across the region and what services would work best.
Community Services
We have specialist community eating disorder teams covering the region, which provide:
- Assessment
- Psychological therapies
- Physical health monitoring
- Support from a team of multiple professions
- Care coordination
Investment in Intensive Day Services
Following an investment of approximately £2.6 million in intensive day services, we need to determine how this has contributed to decreased demand of bed occupancy. This has decreased from 97% in 2022/23 to 80% in 2023/24.
We also want to look at comparing patient experience of inpatient and intensive day services.
We want to hear from you
We are running engagement events and an online survey for you to have your say.
We want to hear from people who have used our eating disorders services, families and carers, health and care staff, and partner organisations. What you tell us will help us to improve and shape our services for people with eating disorders.
We want to hear your views on:
- What matters most when accessing eating disorders services
- The balance between inpatient and community care
- 7-day community and intensive services
- Community-based recovery
- Equity across the areas we provide services in
Ways to share your views
Take our survey
Survey for patients and carersEvents
We are holding face to face events where you can talk to us about our plans.
- Thursday 2 April, 10am – 12pm: Meadow View, Hopewood Park, Waterworks Road, Sunderland, SR2 0NB
- Tuesday 7 April, 2.30pm – 4.30pm: Kiff Kaff, St George’s Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NU
- Thursday 9 April, 12.30pm – 2.30pm: Learning Lounge, Carleton Clinic, Cumwhinton Drive, Carlisle, CA1 3SX
- Friday 10 April, 10am – 12pm: Conference Room 1, Walkergate Park, Benfield Road, Newcastle, NE6 4QD
- Tuesday 14 April, 2pm – 4pm, Meadow View, Hopewood Park, Waterworks Road, Sunderland, SR2 0NB
- Thursday 16 April, 10am – 12pm: Kiff Kaff, St George’s Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NU
- Thursday 16 April, 2pm – 4pm: Jubilee Theatre, St Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Road, Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 3XT
- Thursday 23 April, 2.30pm – 4.30pm, Conference Room 2, Walkergate Park, Benfield Road, Newcastle, NE6 4QD
- Tuesday 28 April, 10am – 12pm: Jubilee Theatre, St Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Road, Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 3XT
- Thursday 30 April, 10am – 12pm: Learning Lounge, Carleton Clinic, Cumwhinton Drive, Carlisle, CA1 3SX
What happens next?
The engagement process will be open until 30 April.
Following the engagement process, we will develop a case for change to present some options to our commissioners, taking into consideration what we hear as part of this engagement. At that point, out commissioners will consider whether they progress to formal public consultation on the options provided.