Priory has opened the UK’s first medically-led eating disorder day hospital for NHS patients to enable access to a vital specialist service in a community-facing setting.
Located at Priory Hospital Southampton, it provides an alternative to traditional inpatient treatment, enabling people to receive intensive specialist support while remaining connected with their lives outside of hospital.
It has been named Sapphirewing by patients and the hospital’s Lived Experience Partner, Sophie Crouzet, after the sapphirewing hummingbird which can be found in forests across parts of South America.
Demand for eating disorder services has increased significantly in recent years.
Hospital admissions rose by 84% between 2015-16 and 2020-21, according to NHS data. More recent figures show demand remains high, with more than 30,000 admissions recorded annually.
In addition, requests for anorexia nervosa treatment at Priory – which is the largest independent provider of mental health, eating disorders, addiction and working-age adult social care in the UK – have risen by 6.4% over the past year and by 58.3% compared with pre-pandemic levels (2019).
The new day hospital model combines medical management and monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation and psychological therapies – with a focus on ensuring patients do not spend extended periods away from their families and support networks.
“By providing medically-led treatment in a day care environment, patients can access a vital specialist service without having to spend time away from their families, loved ones and personal lives,” explained Dr Lucy Ilie, Clinical Director of the Eating Disorders Network at Priory who is based at Priory Hospital Southampton.
“Smooth reintegration into the community is not just a goal of this treatment but an integral, active part of the programme.
“This approach supports the shift towards more community-based care, reducing reliance on inpatient treatment and helping people stay connected to their everyday lives during recovery.
“The service’s ethos is to foster resilience, promote independence and equip individuals with the skills needed to sustain recovery.”
Support is provided by a multidisciplinary team addressing the psychological, nutritional and medical aspects of eating disorders and associated mental health conditions – with continuous consultant psychiatric involvement throughout.
Natalie Southgate, Hospital Director at Priory Hospital Southampton, said: “Sapphirewing provides an alternative to inpatient admission and has the potential to shorten inpatient stays so people can receive care in the community.
“The daily programme combines nutritional rehabilitation – including meals provided on site followed by post-meal support and supervision – with a structured life skills programme designed to support patients in their everyday life.
“Fundamentally this is about giving people more choice about how they receive their care and we believe this is a model that could lead the way in transforming eating disorder care for many more people.”
Pictured: Dr Lucy Ilie on the left, Labour MP Richard Quigley on the right.
Labour MP Richard Quigley, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eating Disorders, who recently visited the service, said it has the potential to play “a meaningful role” in delivering better outcomes.
He said: “I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit and learn more about this new service. Through my work with the Eating Disorders APPG and personal experience, I’m clear that the experiences of inpatients, and the care they receive, must improve.
“Having now visited the service, met with clinical and operational leaders and talked to patients, it's good that everyone agrees early intervention and focus on outcomes is the key to patient improvement.
“I believe there is significant potential for this new model to play a meaningful role in delivering those better outcomes and I look forward to monitoring its progress.”
The service at Priory Hospital Southampton – part of Priory’s national eating disorders network – is open to adult men and women funded by the NHS.
Priory Hospital Southampton, which has 31 acute mental health beds and 13 adult eating disorder beds, is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).