MP urges health bosses to keep promise of eating disorder service for young people in South Cumbria

On World Mental Health Day, local MP Tim Farron has written to the Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group to ask them to keep their promise of a specialist one-to-one eating disorder service for young people in South Cumbria.

Back in February 2016, the Government allocated £5m to be used to create a bespoke county-wide service, but over three years later there are still no signs of this happening.

Figures from the charity BEAT show that over three quarters of children with eating disorders in Cumbria aren't seen by a psychologist within the national standard of four weeks, while some have to wait over 12 weeks.

Tim said: "I'm constantly staggered by the amount of people that write to me about how their child has been denied vital treatment because they weren't thin enough.

"Would somebody who had been diagnosed with stage 1 cancer be told 'clear off until you've got stage 4, come back when you're at death's door?'

"There is a desperate need out there for a specialist service but sadly those parents continue to be let down by the decision makers.

"On World Mental Health Day, our local health bosses need to put this right for our young people who desperately need and deserve that help."