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The Government says it is planning to increase the number of staff members focused on tackling eating disorders, following an "increasing prevalence" of the illness.
Among the roles under consideration are a specialist eating disorder nurse and a new dietician.
The Government published news of the potential recruitments following questions from Express about concerns shared by a mother whose daughter was sent off-island to be treated for an eating disorder last year. She described the experience as "soul-destroying" for her daughter.
Pictured: The Government say that a specialist eating disorder nurse and a dietician are "under consideration" as part of plans for 2022.
A Government spokesperson defended the support currently in place, explaining: “CAMHS has an experienced set of clinicians in eating disorders, including oversight from consultant clinical psychiatrists, with input from CAMHS mental health nurses and family therapists.
“There is also an eating disorder pathway within CAMHS, which follows the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Family Based Intervention for Eating.
"This is a robust and holistic programme that includes systemic family therapy that helps the family manage and treat the eating disorder.
“The aim of this pathway is to improve treatment support in this area and reduce the number of inpatient admissions for eating disorders; and keep young people at home with families."
Pictured: Eating disorders have more than tripled in young people over the last four years in Jersey.
However, they confirmed plans to recruit additional staff "in the coming months to address continued growing demand for services in this area."
They continued: “The Government recently published the draft Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2021 to 2025. The consultation will be open until the 11 June 2020.
“This strategy proposes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to improve children and young people’s mental health.
“By enabling children, young people, and families to access the support they need earlier, and in familiar settings, it will in turn reduce the burden on specialist services such as CAMHS.”
A recent Government report outlined the crisis in children’s mental health cases in recent years, with 55% of paediatric admissions to Robin Ward in 2020 being on mental health grounds.
It also recorded how, in the past four years, eating disorders in young people have more than tripled. with 44 children being treated in April. The review acknowledged that the "number of children with eating disorders is growing, but we do not yet a dedicated service for them.”
Pictured: The Government will pay for the new staff with funds from the £6m earmarked for children's mental health in the Government plan.
Since last month, that figure has increased again, now standing at 48 young people being treated by CAMHS for eating disorders.
CAMHS referrals for the disorder were around 10 per year between 2017 and 2019, but increased to 25 in 2020. By the end of April this year, there were 22.
“The increasing prevalence of these issues in recent years, then exacerbated since covid-19 restrictions, has also been reported by services in many other countries," the Government said.
It said the ways in which it is attempting to meet this demand include:
If given the green light, the Government's current strategy for children’s mental health will see £6m invested over the next three years (2022-24), with £2.25m being given to the services recurring from 2025 onwards.
Pictured: Supervised lunches are being offered to higher risk young people.
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