Welcome to the second series where we will focus on your appointment with your GP. As you can see, I've change the format slightly to make it easier for you to get the information you need, so I hope it works for you.

The appointment with your GP may be the first opportunity you'll have to get a professional opinion about your worries for your child. Therefore it is crucial that you give your GP all the information they'll need to assess if your child is in danger of physical complications and to help you think about the best way forwards. Your initial GP appointment will be short, probably about ten minutes which isn't long at all...

Eating disorders are complicated illnesses that can affect many different areas of a child's life. No two presentations or eating disorder are exactly the same, so its really important that you help your yourself by preparing for the appointment.

Currently, there is a huge drive in the UK to support and train professionals to recognise and treat eating disorders. The reality is that this will take time and you may have your first appointment with a GP that's not so confident with eating disorders. Now this isn't something to be worried about,  it just means you need to do your homework, work with your GP and be an active part of the process.

Throughout the next five episodes I'll explore the current climate for eating disorder treatment in the UK, I'll guide you through how to prepare yourself for the appointment and how to support your child to talk to a professional for the first time. I'll also discuss how you can tell if your child needs urgent treatment and what your options are should you be concerned. I'll give thoughts to what you can do if you're not satisfied with the outcome of the appointment and guide you through the pros and cons of choosing between including NHS and private heath care and working with independent therapists.

The full show notes are available at https://sway.office.com/yJJAGdDDLTn0xSMY?ref=Link (either click on the link or copy and paste the address)

As usual, if you want to comment or make a contribution to the podcast, then go over to my contact page and drop me a line...