Have your say on the future of adult eating disorder services

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.

There will be particular focus on inpatient and intensive day services, but we are keen to understand what people think of the whole pathway, including community services.

National guidance makes it clear that services should:

• Provide early intervention
• Deliver care in the least restrictive setting possible
• Be clear when to use inpatient care only
• Strengthen community and intensive alternatives

The need for admission to our adult eating disorder inpatient beds has reduced significantly. This, along with the expansion of our community-based alternatives, means there is a reduced need for inpatient care.

Ward 31A, the inpatient ward at the RVI in Newcastle, will close on Friday 31 July. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust has 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. We are developing an interim clinical model that will enhance our community and day service provision whilst we develop future services.

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.

With this in mind, we have started an engagement process. We are running engagement events and have online surveys for service users and carers, health and care staff and partner organisations to have their say. The engagement will run until Thursday 30 April 2026.

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, our commissioners will consider whether to progress to formal public consultation on the options provided.