A CONCERNED parent says a lack of services to help young people tackle eating disorders in Cumbria is an ‘absolute scandal’.

The parent, who wishes to stay anonymous, is backing Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron as he urges health bosses to commission a specialist service to help teenagers and young adults.

Currently, people under the age of 18 receive treatment from adolescent mental health services – but Mr Farron says that is not enough.

“We know that there can be tragic consequences if the proper support isn’t there, so it’s absolutely critical that we put pressure on health bosses to provide a specialist service for young people,” he said.

“I’ve seen an increasing number of parents who come to me because they can’t get the right treatment for their kids who have eating disorders.”

The parent, who has a child that suffers from anorexia, said: “This is the biggest mental health killer and we are constantly fighting a battle against time.

“The nearest specialist services are in Edinburgh, Darlington or Manchester and that means being separated from your child for a long time.

“Until there is a specialist service here in Cumbria there is no end to the problem  in sight.”

Mr Farron said the Government had given money to the former Cumbria clinical commissioning group since 2015 to create a county-wide one-to-one eating disorder service.

But three years down the line there was still no sign of such a service.

“There is a desperate need out there for a specialist service but sadly parents continue to be let down by the decision-makers,” he said

A spokesman from North Cumbria CCG and Morecambe CCG said children and young people with eating disorders were seen by the child and adolescent mental health team at the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

MORE TOP STORIES:

“Those staff have now undertaken extra training thanks to the funding and are providing specialist support,” said the spokesman.

The organisation said it was facing challenges which had led to a delay in the implementation of the service, including the retention of staff to allow it to develop.

The CCG has committed to spend the allocated funding on the service and was actively working with providers to develop a pragmatic solution, added the spokesman.