‘No indication’ when HSE will develop eating disorder services

The President of the High Court has welcomed a HSE plan to develop its eating disorders services in the State but has noted there is "no indication when that is going to happen".

Mr Justice Peter Kelly said the absence of the necessary services, or delays in providing them, meant he had no option on Monday but to continue orders detaining a young man with chronic anorexia in a specialist UK unit.

This was despite evidence the man, aged in his 20s and a ward of court, has made some progress and would benefit from discharge home on condition the necessary supports and therapies are in place for him, he noted.

Without such services, it would be unsafe to send the man home for reasons inluding, despite having made some progress in the UK unit, his weight is only 53.5kg and he has a Body Mass Index of 17, the judge said.

Noting the UK service is “extremely costly” and the evidence made clear the man could benefit from discharge home and reusming a normal family life once the relevant supports are in place, the judge stressed he would continue the UK orders only until March 20th.

The HSE must in the interim devise a plan in accordance with what was recommended by the team treating the man in the UK, he said. That plan includes a weekly session with an eating disorders specialist practitioner and a psychologist, plus provision of services of a GP, dietician and occupational therapist.

Relapse

The judge also expressed concern on being informed, if the man is returned to Ireland and has a relapse of his condition, he could be on a waiting list for some months for hospital admission.

Before the man’s admission to the UK unit, he was admitted to hospital here as an emergency due to anorexia and spent months in hospital before eventually being transferred to the UK unit, the judge noted.

In all the circumstances, the judge said he would not adjourn the matter for months and there must be progress made in putting the necessary services in place for the man as a matter of urgency.

The judge also made orders on Monday continuing the detention in hospital in the State of a young woman who also suffers with chronic anorexia.

While dealing with that case, the judge was given a copy of the Eating Disorders Services HSE Model of Care for Ireland, published in January.

The judge, who previously noted rising numbers of eating disorder cases coming before the courts, welcomed the proposal to develop the services but remarked there was no indication when that would happen.

The plan notes about 189,000 Irish people will experience an eating disorder in their lives, about 1,757 new cases develop here each year in the 10-49 age group and males are two to three times more likely than females to develop them.

It also notes that only 5 to 15 per cent of people with such disorders seek help with many reporting it is hard to access treatment. Eating disorders are diagnosable mental heath disorders and, while they have the highest mortality risk of all mental health disorders, most people can and do recover if they get effective teatment, it states.