Eating Disorders

Thanks to the work of organisations, such as ““beat””, and my hon. Friend awareness has been pushed up the agenda. The Government want to respond to public concern. My hon. Friend was right to say that we must consider what GPs can do to identify signs of an eating disorder and to be able to offer the right treatment as early as possible. He made an interesting point about GPs in every practice having such training. We are always looking for ways of increasing awareness, but we must be aware of some of the practical difficulties—for example, in single-handed practices. We must ensure that good systems are available in primary care and that there is awareness of symptoms among health care professionals.