By Neil Trainis

The General Pharmaceutical Council has urged pharmacy teams across England to take part in a series of training programmes designed to help them understand, identify and provide effective support for patients with an eating disorder.

The initiative is being rolled out by Health Education England and NHS England in collaboration with the charity Beat in response to the recommendations of a report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman five years ago that examined why eating disorder services are failing patients.

The report was published following the death in December 2012 of 19-year-old Averil Hart, who had anorexia nervosa. It concluded her death would have been avoided “if the NHS had cared for her appropriately” and revealed several NHS organisations “missed opportunities to prevent the deterioration which led to her final admission to the hospital where she died.” The report also found “inadequate coordination and planning of Averil’s care.”

The training programme will help dietitians, oral health and community pharmacy professionals understand why they need to know about eating disorders, identify different types of the condition, recognise the signs and symptoms, understand what to consider when approaching someone who may have an eating disorder and understand official guidance on managing service transitions.

The programme will also help pharmacy professionals understand what steps to take after an eating disorder has been identified, what practical tips and support they can give patients and understand individuals’ experiences of eating disorders.

One pharmacist, however, took to Twitter to ask the GPhC if it will encourage pharmacy employers to make protected learning time available to enable their staff to take the training.