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Practice nurses provide 'easier first stop' for young people with eating disorders

Young people with eating disorders can find it easier to speak to practice nurses than GPs when they seek treatment, according to a charity representative.
Practice nurse eating disorder

Young people with eating disorders sometimes find it easier to discuss their condition with a practice nurse than a GP, a conference heard.


Picture: iStock

Rebecca Peters, an ambassador programme manager for the eating disorder charity Beat, said the GP surgery tended to be the first port of call for young people seeking treatment for an eating disorder, but it could be a daunting experience.

Daunting discussions

‘They [young people] may find it quite draining going to a GP and discussing the issue,' Ms Peters told the Responding to Eating Disorders in Children and Young People conference in London on 3 September.

'For some people, medical professionals can be a bit intimidating.’

She added young people may feel easier to confide in a practice nurse.

Ms Peters said: ‘We want to encourage people to seek help as early as possible.’


Further information

Eating disorder charity Beat

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