100 miles to save my child's life: mum calls for local anorexia help

Beth had to wait weeks and travel 100 miles for the life-saving help she needed. Credit: Family

Not enough beds and an agonising wait for the right help for people with severe anorexia in the South West. That's the experience of Fran O'Brien, whose daughter Beth spent weeks waiting for a bed in a specialist unit, as her weight plummeted to a dangerously low level.

The family eventually had to travel 100 miles from their home in Bristol to get her the treatment she needed.

She spoke to Katie Rowlett about the struggle.

NHS England have told ITV they do want every patient to be treated quickly and safely, but that there is a high demand for eating disorder services. It's this pressure on the service will ease with the Government's pledge of £150 million to develop specialist community based eating disorder services over the next five years.

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