MORE than 100 children and young people have received treatment for eating disorders in Bradford over the past 12 months.

The youngsters all began care at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, with more than a quarter referred urgently, as the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on children’s mental health.

Bradford District Care Trust said lockdown has had a big impact and it is working with partners on early intervention.

NHS England data showed 106 children and young people began treatment for eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia in Bradford between July 2020 and June 2021.

This was up from 71 a year earlier, and more than double the 47 who began treatment two years earlier.

Of those beginning treatment, 28 were the subject of urgent referrals, compared to 17 the year before and eight in 2018/19.

NHS rules state 95 per cent of urgent cases must begin treatment within seven days - in Bradford it was 82 per cent - while other patients should be seen within four weeks -76 per cent were seen on time in Bradford.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been pointed to as one of the main reasons for the spike in eating disorders among children and young people.

Tom Quinn, of eating disorder charity Beat, said: “Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and accessing specialist help as soon as possible leads to the best chances of making a full recovery.

“More young people are being treated than ever before, but demand is increasing at an even faster rate, and it is particularly concerning to see urgent referrals rising.”

He said anxiety, isolation and a lack of support contributed to people developing disorders or relapsing.

A Bradford District Care Trust spokesperson said: “Like many other Trusts we’ve seen an increase in people referred to our eating disorder service, particularly in lockdown.

“This is down to a number of reasons for young people particularly around their support networks.

“In a number of cases young people have been turning to social media which may promote less healthy forms of diet and exercise.

“Our team is committed to supporting the children and young people referred to us.

“We are working with partners across the district to ensure they are aware of signs to look out for, how to get advice if they are working with someone that they think might need additional support and the importance of early intervention.

“Young people can get advice from their GP or school nurse, or if you are worried about a friend or family member, please speak to a health care professional.”

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