Our inpatient and day care unit which provides specialist support for adults with eating disorders, has maintained its accreditation status in recognition of the high quality of patient care.

Langley Ward, situated within the Bennion Centre on the Glenfield Hospital site, provides hospital care and treatment to adults aged 18 or over who have anorexia nervosa. The ward offers inpatient services across the East Midlands region and is part of the Leicestershire Adult Eating Disorders Service, which works with people experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other diagnosable eating disorders.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has an accreditation programme for inpatient eating disorder services. Every three years a full review of wards is carried out on its behalf by the Quality Network for Eating Disorders (QED), with an interim review after 18 months. LPT is delighted to have received confirmation from the QED that the high standards of patient care identified during the previous full visit in 2015 continue to be maintained, and the ward accreditation will remain in place.

The Royal College’s accreditation programme involves assessment against some 300 standards categorised into five sections, with themes including safety, timely and purposeful admission, the environment and facilities and therapies and activities on offer.

The Leicestershire Adult Eating Disorders Service is staffed by a number of highly skilled health professionals including psychiatrists, specialist nurses, health care support workers, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, administrative staff, researchers and a dietitian.

Sandra Marshall, inpatient team manager, said: “We are very proud of this acknowledgment that we continue to provide a high quality, effective and safe service with positive outcomes. Our service users have very specific and often complex needs, and the process of recovery from anorexia nervosa takes time and for some people, a lengthy hospital admission. We have a fantastic team of staff at Langley Ward who work incredibly hard every day to help the patients on the ward at particularly difficult moments in their lives.”

Patients from within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are usually referred to the service by their GP, but referrals may also be made by other mental or physical health care clinicians to ensure they get the timely and individual support that they need.

Helen Thompson, director for families, young people and children’s services and for adult learning disability services, said: “We are absolutely delighted about our ward maintaining the accreditation from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This outcome is recognition of the team’s ongoing commitment and passion to delivering excellent care to local patients.”