The implementation of large-scale health system reform in identification, access and treatment of eating disorders in Australia

• Main Authors: Sarah Maguire, Danielle Maloney
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021-09-01
• Series: Journal of Eating Disorders
• Subjects: Health system change; Health reform; Mental health redesign; Workforce development; Multidisciplinary treatment; Eating disorders
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00476-8

Plain English summary This review outlines a $30 million health system reform to eating disorder treatment implemented by the NSW State Government six years ago which has seen large-scale service and workforce development across 15 geographical districts. This spans almost one million square kilometres and services 7.75 million people in Australia. The reform is very large in scale and is now in its second phase of implementation. Here outlined is the strategic process of policy and practice change of the entire reform and initial findings from an external review of phase one, which demonstrates positive effects on all three service targets—emergency departments presentations, hospital admissions and community occasions of service—including increased rates of treatment provision, improved perception of eating disorders amongst health professionals, improved pathway options and better communication within multidisciplinary teams. This type of whole-of-health system government led reform has relevance and learnings for health systems internationally.