become more isolated , withdrawn and avoid social situations .
First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders ( FREED ) is a programme for our younger population of 16 to 25-year-olds , who have had an eating disorder for three years or less . Young people seeking help through FREED are given rapid access to specialised treatment focused on the specific challenges we know young people face , and in the early stages of the condition . The programme has shown significant patient benefits helping to reduce anxiety as well as a reduction in the levels of disengagement from those needing treatment .
We worked closely with NHS services in our region to assess how FREED could be integrated into existing eating disorder services and pathways . We not only provided programme management support to our NHS partners , but we also helped to part-fund a tailored role to deliver the FREED programme by creating FREED ‘ champions ’. This approach helped to successfully deploy the programme at City Health Care Partnership , CIC and NAViGO in Humber and North Yorkshire and at Sheffield Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust and South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association in South Yorkshire . To date , 157 young people have benefitted from the service having a positive impact on their wellbeing and care outcomes .
In the past two years , we organised two ‘ Community of Practice ’ events to share successes and challenges of implementing the programme . Following this , our project team are now integral members of the monthly Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Network Community of Practice events . As part of this partnership , we hosted a lunch and learn session that was attended by our FREED champions and universities interested in learning more about FREED and how they can adopt this into their mental health services .
Impact of the FREED and Focus ADHD programmes
157 18 sites
now offer the QbTest in our region
157
young people have experienced
4,892 157 patients
have benefited from the QbTest
a positive impact on their wellbeing and care outcomes
38 Transforming Lives Through Innovation