Our teams offer the following services:
- Support for children and young people in Derby and southern Derbyshire with eating disorders – for more information, visit our CAMHS section.
- Support for adults (18 years and older) across Derbyshire who are registered with a Derbyshire GP that falls within the Joined Up Care Derbyshire area – for more information, read on.
Adult eating disorders service
Our eating disorder service cares for adults with severe eating disorders living in Derby city and Derbyshire county. The service offers treatment to individuals with anorexia nervosa with a body mass index (BMI) of 16.9 and under. In some circumstances we also see people who present with physical health issues, for example diabetes or Crohn’s disease, at higher BMIs, and severe bulimia with physical health risks or those who are rapidly losing weight.
We may act in an advisory or consultative capacity with mainstream mental health services and primary care teams to support service users with eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorders.
The team is based at Unity Mill in Belper. However in order to make the service as accessible as possible to the communities we serve, team members may travel to healthcare settings across the city and county.
We are a multidisciplinary team comprising psychologists, consultant psychiatry, CBT therapy, occupational therapy, specialist dieticians and nurse therapist.
Where appropriate we will facilitate and monitor admissions to specialist inpatient units and regularly liaise with commissioners to ensure admissions are timely and appropriate. We also work with the gastroenterology teams at both the Royal Derby Hospital and Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
Find out more about eating disorders, the causes and how they affect people on the NHS website.
Working in partnership with First Steps
Our Eating Disorders service works closely with First Steps ED to provide targeted intensive practical support in the community to enable service users to receive a specialist eating disorders pathway to progress towards recovery.
This joint service provides home and community supportive interventions from a variety of options agreed by the care co-ordinator as part of the Care Programme Approach (CPA) process, which may include: social activities, for example going to the cinema or for a walk, confidence building (around your needs), food shopping, preparing meals, eating at home or in public, volunteering and support to get back into work and/or education.
Are you a parent or carer of a person who is
currently engaged with or recently discharged from the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service? Are you interested in hearing more about what our service offers and sharing your thoughts to help us develop the service?
We are planning to start a family and carer service improvement forum which aims to gather family and carer thoughts and feedback regarding changes we are making to the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service.
As part of the forum, we will also offer information on who we are and what our service offers, so it is an opportunity to learn about what support is available to your loved one and family.
If you are interested in taking part in the family and carer service improvement forum, please get in touch with us either by giving us a call on 01773 881467 or emailing us at dhcft.eatingdisordersservice@nhs.net
Click on the links below for more information:
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Beat Eating Disorders (BEAT) - 0845 634 1414
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First Steps - 01332 367571
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Royal College of Psychiatrists information on eating disorders
We accept referrals for people over the age of 18 from GPs, secondary mental health services and other organisations. A referral form should be completed and returned to us by email to dhcft.eatingdisordersservice@nhs.net or post to address below.
Welcome to the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service podcast! This podcast has been created by the Assistant Psychologists within the service: Shannon Edwards, Sian Levell, Megan Burkinshaw and Rebecca Young. We have developed this podcast to provide information around eating disorders, offer hints and tips and bust any myths that we may come across.
If you are feeling distressed, anxious or feeling that you cannot cope, you can call The Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Services. It is a freephone service available to everyone living in Derbyshire, both to young people and adults. You can call on 0800 028 0077, it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You may also call 111 or GP, when you require support for your mental health if there’s no immediate danger to your safety or the safety of others. Please call 999 or visit the Emergency Department at a local hospital, for any medical emergencies and life-threatening situations only, for example if you have taken an overdose or need urgent medical attention.
In addition, the following helpline numbers offer confidential, emotional support:
- Samaritans - 116 123 ( 24/7 telephone emotional support for anyone in emotional distress)
- Papyrus HOPELine UK (under 35s) – 0800 068 4141 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and 7pm-10pm. Weekends 2pm-5pm_
- Mind - 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 (Mental health advocacy support and information
- Beat (Eating Disorders charity) – 0808 801 0677 (open daily from midday-midnight during the week; 4pm-midnight on weekends and bank holidays)
01. Christmas
This episode covers Christmas, identifying common concerns that come up around Christmas for our service users, why these are concerns and how they may be overcome.
We are joined by Dr Ali Robertson (Clinical Psychologist), Julie Youle (dietician), and Emma Holmes (Occupational Therapist).
If you feel that you need any additional support over the festive period, please do speak to your clinician. Alternatively, please visit the website of an amazing local charity, First Steps Derbyshire, at https://firststepsed.co.uk/
02. The role of a Dietician
In this episode we are joined by Julie Youle and Michelle Holmes who are dieticians within the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service. We discuss the role of dieticians within the service and how service users can access their support.
If you would like any more information about dieticians or how to access their support whilst receiving treatment with the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service, please speak to your Care Coordinator or contact us on dhcft.eatingdisordersap@nhs.net.
03. Role of Therapists
In this episode we are joined by Dr Ali Robertson (Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist), Dr Laura Ames (Clinical Psychologist) and Elizabeth Oldham (CBT Therapist), who are therapists within the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service. We discuss the role of Therapists within the service and how service users can access their support.
04. The Role of Occupational Therapists
In this episode we are joined by Kylie Conningham and Emma Homes, who are both Occupational Therapists within the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service. We discuss what the role of occupational therapy within the service and how service users can use this to maximise their recovery. If you would like any more information about our Occupational Therapists, or how to access their support whilst receiving treatment with the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service, please speak to your Care Coordinator or contact us on dhcft.eatingdisordersap@nhs.net
05. Role of Peer Support Workers
In this episode we are joined by Shirley and Molly who are Peer Support Workers within the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service. We discuss the role of Peer Support Workers within the service and how service users can access their support. If you would like any more information about Peer Support Workers or how to access their support whilst receiving treatment with the Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service, please speak to your Care Coordinator or contact us on dhcft.eatingdisordersap@nhs.net.
06. Easter
In this episode we are joined by Dr Ali Robertson (Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist), Julie Youle (Dietician) and Laurie Allsop (Occupational Therapy Assistant). We discuss the common concerns that our service users may have around this period and offer some hints and tips to manage expectations, shopping, Lent, and more! If you are concerned about the Easter period, please speak to your clinician or Care Coordinator for additional support.
Contact
Unity Mill
Derwent Street
Belper
Derbyshire
DE56 1WN
Telephone: 01773 881467