Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2004
219 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of public beds specifically available for the care of persons suffering eating disorders; and the plans he has to improve the medical care on offer to persons suffering from these disorders. [7114/04]
View answerPersons presenting with eating disorders are generally treated through the psychiatric services of their local health board. Outpatient psychiatric services are provided from a network of hospitals, health centres, day hospitals and day centres. Where in-patient treatment is deemed necessary, it is provided in the local acute psychiatric unit or hospital, beds being allocated on the basis of patient need at any particular time. A tertiary referral service for eating disorders is available to public patients in St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin where three in-patient beds are designated for this purpose. A similar service is available privately at St. Patrick's Hospital, James's Street, Dublin and at St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, County Dublin.
The Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry will this year commence the preparation of a report on services for people with eating disorders and how they can best be developed in the short, medium and long term.
