Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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672. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on phase one of the review of the model of care for eating disorders; and the timeline for the commencement and completion of phase two of the review. [50333/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The National Clinical Programme on Eating Disorders has progressed well, with 14 of the 16 teams envisaged by the model of care now funded. Enhancement of eating disorder services is a key priority for me and while there has been great progress under the Model of Care, we must continue to work to develop services. That is why I am progressing the review of the model of care, which has two distinct phases, as previously outlined to the Deputy. Phase 1 focuses on adult inpatient services, and as Minister I requested the HSE to conduct a review to identify the appropriate level of adult bed capacity needed for people requiring inpatient treatment for an eating disorder. The HSE have now completed a report on inpatient eating bed disorder bed capacity required for the future, and this report remains under consideration by the Department of Health. This involves engagement between my Department and the HSE on how best to operationalise the eating disorder bed plan capacity report in a sustainable way, taking account of demographic and wider geographical needs; and to ensure equity of access, and the delivery of safe, evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders. I will be making an announcement on this issue in due course.

Phase 2 will involve evaluating the community-based teams and reviewing service level trends over recent years to inform a plan for the future development and expansion of eating disorder services. The HSE’s current focus is on completing and implementing the existing Model of Care and supporting the rollout of additional teams. Once this is complete, an evaluation will be undertaken, after which the Model of Care will be reviewed by the HSE.