Assessment and management of medical emergencies in eating disorders: Guidance for GPs

Abstract

Eating disorders are common, affect people of all ages, and can present as medical emergencies in community, primary care, or hospital settings. In 2017, in response to the death of a 19-year-old female with anorexia nervosa, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman produced a report entitled Ignoring the Alarms: How NHS Eating Disorder Services are Failing Patients.1 In 2019, the Royal College of Psychiatrists began work to update existing eating disorder guidance (MARSIPAN and Junior MARSIPAN) alongside expert reference groups guided by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health; this resulted in the new Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders [MEED]: Guidance on Recognition and Management report.2 This new guidance is intended for people of all ages covering all eating disorders. This practice piece consolidates the key recommendations for GPs and primary care teams.