A total of 20 new specialist eating disorder beds will be opened around the country, under new plans being devised by the Health Service Executive to cope with growing demand for services.
More than 500 people in Ireland were diagnosed with an eating disorder last year – more than 100 cases more than in 2023. There were also 894 referrals for treatment, up 33 per cent on the previous year.
Currently, the State has just three public inpatient eating disorder beds for adults who are acutely unwell, all of which are in St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin.
To be treated in these beds, patients are required to fall within the catchment area of the hospital. People with eating disorders outside of this catchment order who go into public hospitals for treatment are typically referred to a general psychiatric unit, where they often are unable to access specialised care.
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The HSE has begun a review of the model of care for eating disorders on a phased basis. Its first report on future eating disorder bed provision has been finalised and was recently submitted to the Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler.
The Irish Times understands that the plan sets out a need for between eight and 10 specialist beds in Dublin, as well as between 10 and 12 specialist beds outside of the capital, with a national spread. All of these beds will have a national catchment area.
Under the proposals, these beds will be specialised for eating disorder treatment. However as demand for such services ebbs and flows, they will also be used for other psychiatric illnesses, The Irish Times understands.
These beds will mostly be new provision in new units, with their establishment to take place over a number of years. However, there is potential for interim plans to increase provision until the planned number is up and running.
This is not the first time such a move was proposed. Under the previous model of care, an additional 20 eating disorder beds were to be opened between 2018 and 2023, however no funding was allocated and the beds were never opened.
Harriet Parsons, chief executive of BodyWhys, the national eating disorder association, says in recent years work has been on developing the community services, but inpatient beds are also required – particularly outside of Dublin.
“We need to make sure that geographical spread is there so that it doesn’t matter where you are in the country, you will have access to the same kind of services,” she said.
“People who require inpatient care, they are acutely unwell. They don’t come out of hospital better; they come out of hospital well enough to start the real process of getting better in the community.”
She added: “You don’t want to have a huge difference between that inpatient stay and going out [into the community]. It is much more likely they will struggle to improve. That is the story that is repeated over and over again.”
Meanwhile, a recent report from the Health Research Board found eating disorders were the main reason why children were admitted to psychiatric hospitals and units last year for the second year in a row.
Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of children admitted had a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder, up from 24 per cent the previous year.
There has been a gradual increase in the percentage of child admissions being linked to eating disorders, rising from 18 per cent in 2020 to 26 per cent last year.
The researchers conducted a “census night” on December 31st, 2024, which found there were 52 patients in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, of whom 38 per cent had an eating disorder.
