Consultation draft
Eating Disorders in Scotland Recommendations for healthcare professionals (PDF, 171K, 48secs)
About the Draft
This document introduces the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) draft recommendations for the management of eating disorders in Scotland.
These draft recommendations cover the following areas:
- General principles for management of eating disorders
- Individualised care
- Multidisciplinary model of care
- Management of physical aspects
- Children and adolescents
- Transition between services
- Information
- Legal framework
- Confidentiality
- Role of the GP and the primary care team
- Role of specialist services
- anorexia nervosa
- bulimia nervosa
- atypical eating disorders (including binge eating disorder)
- Long term management
Once finalised, these recommendations will be published by NHS QIS to assist healthcare professionals in managing eating disorders in Scotland.
Project history
The NICE guideline on Eating Disorders was published in January 2004. In 2005 NHS Quality Improvement Scotland was asked by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care to review the guideline with a view to making it available for application in Scotland.
An expert group was sent up in summer 2005 and met on three occasions. The group was chaired by Dr Chris Freeman from Edinburgh and Dr Harry Millar from Aberdeen, both of whom are specialists in the area. The group reviewed the guideline in detail, identifying areas where either the legal position or practice in Scotland differs from that of England. In addition, a literature review was undertaken to assess whether any of the recommendations made in the guideline would change in the light of new evidence. Finally, the group reviewed the need for any additional areas to be covered by the guidelines.
Overall the group were supportive of the NICE guidelines and found them largely relevant to NHSScotland. However, the differences in the legal framework between England and Scotland and differences in the way that services are provided in Scotland mean that some recommendations need to be changed to reflect this. In addition, the group feels that it would be helpful in Scotland to emphasise some aspects not highlighted in the guideline, including the role of dietetics, the need for individualised care including choice of treatment options, role of multi-disciplinary team, etc. Given the lack of an evidence base for these areas, the group would wish to make good practice points for these areas. Finally, the group noted the need for a section relating to chronic care, an area outwith the scope of the NICE guideline.
As a result, the group felt that circulation of the NICE guideline would not be helpful. The group proposed instead that a short report for Scotland be developed, adapted from the NICE guideline, quoting some NICE recommendations verbatim and adding Scotland-specific good practice points.
The draft recommendations for management of eating disorders in Scotland are now out for consultation until 12 September 2006. The final report will be launched at the Eating Disorders Conference in Aberdeen on 16 and 17 November 2006.