Orri’s Director of Research & Development, Dr Paul Robinson, is Clinical Advisor to the newly launched MEED guidance for recognising and managing medical emergencies in eating disorders.

The new MEED guidance is a welcome commitment to preventing deaths from eating disorders and ensuring that recovery becomes possible for all.

The guidance, supported by project group Clinical Advisor and Orri Director of Research & Development, Dr Paul Robinson, highlights the importance of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to care that recognises and responds to the nuanced presentation and manifestation of eating disorders in a diverse population.

What is MEED?

Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders (MEED) is a guide for clinicians and healthcare professionals to support their practice when working alongside clients/patients with severe eating disorders.

MEED replaces MARSIPAN, the initial guide on the management of patients with severe anorexia. Dr Robinson produced the first version of MARSIPAN and is co-author of the refreshed MEED guide, launched this May 2022.

Why is MEED important?

1 in 50 people will be affected by an eating disorder in the UK and more often than not, GPs are the first port of call for someone who is struggling. With less than an average of 2 hours training in eating disorders – and with patient appointments lasting an average of just 10 minutes – GPs aren’t sufficiently armed with the information they need to respond to the growing population suffering with eating disorders.

This is where resources, like MEED, step in – MEED recognises that there’s no ‘one way’ to have a problem, and that eating disorders manifest in different ways within a diverse population. MEED invites an informed change in eating disorder treatment in the UK, that is community-led, collaborative, and compassionate in approach.

You may remember back in March, for Eating Disorders Awareness Week, that both Kerrie, CEO and Founder, and Dr Paul led an introductory webinar on MEED. You can watch it below!

The importance of offering intensive day treatment, in the community

Orri is a specialist day treatment service, offering face-to-face treatment both in person and online for eating disorder recovery. We work collaboratively with clients and their families to provide expert, evidence-based treatment with kindness and compassion at the core.

Treatment is delivered in the community to keep people connected to the everyday lives and loved ones and ensure a smooth transition out of treatment when they no longer need our support.

As both an alternative to inpatient hospitalisation and an early intervention option, we recognise that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to eating disorder recovery. Our multi-disciplinary team of experts provide a tailored, wrap-around approach to daycare to ensure that recovery is possible for all.

Dr Paul shares his thoughts on our specialist treatment:

“This is a stark and much-needed alternative to hospitalisation. The launch of clinics such as Orri signals an important shift on current provision for the early intervention and longer-term management of eating disorders. Orri is participating in clinical trials to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an intensive “stepping into day treatment” approach versus inpatient treatment “as usual” for eating disorders.

It is hoped that the findings of such trials will support advice to government to facilitate scaling of the early intensive, multidisciplinary day treatment model across the NHS, potentially opening the door to large-scale, long-term and well-overdue disruption of the treatment landscape.

If you would like to read the MEED guidance, you can do so here

If you’re looking for treatment, simply reach out. You can call us, email askorri@orri-uk.com or complete a website enquiry form, at the bottom of the page. We accept private medical insurance and offer free initial assessments with our multi-disciplinary team.

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