Eating disorder unit to grow as demand rises

A UNIT which treats people with eating disorders is expanding to meet demand.

For the past two years people suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders have been able to get specialist treatment in Grimsby, rather than having to travel hundreds of miles away.

The facility, called Rharian Fields, and which is based at The Gardens, Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, offers four levels of treatment, including out-patient and day services as well as home care and in-patient stays, and has accepted patients from as far away as London.

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Three extra beds will now be added to the five-bed facility.

Figures out last month showed an increasing number of people were admitted to hospitals last year for eating disorders, with the biggest rise among youngsters aged 10 to 19. Rharian Fields is still not well known locally and next week the unit will be holding a series of awareness and fund-raising events for national eating disorder charity Beat, with two of their first patients returning to Grimsby to talk to current service users.

Clinical lead Mandy Barker, said: “Once Rharian Fields reputation grew we consistently have a full house. We are only a small five bedded unit, but the clients’ feedback is that they prefer this as they get more intense, consistent care from a small staff group with knowledge and understanding of eating disorders.

“Many of our clients have had previous admissions and do not want to become a revolving door patient.”

Ms Barker said they hoped people would visit them at their stand at Freshney Place near the market next Tuesday and Thursday, between 10am and 2pm.

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