To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of how effectively the Managed Care Network’s Strategic Framework and three-year implementation plan will address the ambitions for eating disorders services improvements, as detailed in the Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031.

The Eating Disorder Managed Care Network’s Strategic Framework and three-year implementation plan provides a comprehensive and well coordinated foundation, for delivering the improvements to eating disorder services envisioned within the Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy 2021–2031.

The Framework establishes clear regional governance through dedicated workstreams and leadership structures, ensuring consistent oversight and alignment across all Trusts. It strengthens the capability and confidence of the wider system by introducing structured training pathways and a coherent communication approach, both of which are essential to addressing variation in awareness, early identification and management of eating disorders.

The plan’s focus on aligning and standardising care pathways across the region represents a significant step toward delivering equitable, NICE concordant treatment, while the development of regional supervision, reflective practice and training supports workforce sustainability and high-quality care. The Framework also enhances the system’s capacity for data driven decision making through the implementation of standardised outcome measures and improved use of baseline performance data, providing the evidence base required for future commissioning and service planning. The strong emphasis on coproduction ensures that lived experience informs the design, delivery and evaluation of services in a meaningful and continuous way.

While the plan cannot independently deliver the full-service expansion, such as enhanced community and day treatment, without further funding and staffing investment, it effectively positions the region to implement these strategic enhancements efficiently and consistently, once resources become available.