A novel whole-team training programme for adult eating disorder services in England: rationale, development and preliminary evaluation.

Abstract

In response to recommendations for improving the quality and coordination of care delivered by eating disorder services, a whole-team training programme was commissioned by Health Education England in 2020. This paper describes the development and evaluation of the Eating Disorder Services for Adults (EDSA) whole-team training course, delivered to National Health Service adult eating disorder community teams in England. Course participants (n = 561) in the first two EDSA training cohorts (2021 and 2022) were asked to complete questionnaires at intake and after each session, asking about their views on the training. All course aspects were rated as highly enjoyable, meeting participants' training needs and fostering reflective practice. Thematic analysis identified themes relating to key innovative features of the course and suggestions for improvements. Preliminary evaluation suggests that EDSA is valued by clinicians to enhance their knowledge, skills and ability to improve eating disorder patient care.