Protest planned for UHL to highlight lack of eating disorder services

A PROTEST to highlight the need for more support services for those living with eating disorders are coming to multiple cities in Ireland - one being the University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Ireland’s first multi-city protest to demand urgent attention and action to reform eating disorder services across Ireland will take place this March 2, to coincide with Eating Disorder Awareness Week. 

Driven by mother Amy Hanley, whose teenage daughter was diagnosed with anorexia in 2022, the protests will highlight the critical need for reform of eating disorder services and call on the government to urgently address the multiple obstacles to receiving treatment in Ireland. 

Fuelled by her harrowing experience navigating the healthcare system for her daughter, Amy Hanley launched the MindEverybody campaign late last year.

This March 2 will see protests organised in Cork, Limerick and Dublin, as parents and sufferers seek widespread support for much-needed changes and demand that access to care be equitable and timely.  

A Change.org petition has also been set up to be delivered to Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Minster of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler.

"No family or individual should endure the obstacles we faced in securing treatment for my daughter. It's time to dismantle the multiple barriers that impede access to care for eating disorders in this country," said Amy Hanley.

"An often overlooked reality is that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among all mental health conditions. While recovery is attainable, the flaws in our healthcare system can prove detrimental, often worsening or prolonging an illness. 

"Countless young individuals and their families across Ireland are needlessly suffering as they grapple with the lack of resources in the face of deteriorating physical and mental health. This is unacceptable. We need our voices heard once and for all.”

In January 2018, the HSE published a five-year Model of Care for community eating disorder care, with a plan to have sixteen specialist teams in place in by 2023: eight for adults and eight for under-18s. There are currently eleven in place though “not all teams are funded to the recommended levels in the model of care” according to the HSE.

A recent report by the Health Research Board found the number of child and adolescent admissions for eating disorders more than doubled in 2022 and the number of adults admitted to hospital for eating disorders was the highest in a decade.

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However, the eating disorder support organisation, Bodywhys, said people admitted to hospital are only a “fraction” of the individuals experiencing one of these conditions in Ireland.

With an estimated 188,895 people in Ireland experiencing an eating disorder at some point in their lives, and approximately 1,757 new cases annually in the 10-49 age group, the urgency of reforming services cannot be over emphasised.

"If authorities treated this mental health condition with the gravity it deserves, not only could it alleviate the profound suffering experienced by patients, but it could also significantly reduce the economic burdens,” added Amy Hanley.  

“This includes the costs associated with multiple hospitalisations, treatment in private facilities here or abroad when the HSE is unable to provide adequate care, and the financial strain on caregivers who may need carer allowances or sick leave due to the challenges of simultaneously working and caring for someone severely ill without sufficient support."

The Eating Disorder protests will be held at 11am on March 2, 2024 and those interested in getting involved or in organising a protest in their own county are being encouragef to contact Amy on mindeverybody@gmail.com

The Limerick protest will take place outside the main gates of the University Hospital Limerick from 11am- 1pm.