Kathy Logie, WAEDOCS Peer Clinician; Dr Anthea Fursland, WAEDOCS Director; Hon. Andrea Mitchell, Minister for Mental Health; Dr Lisa Miller, WAEDOCS Head of Clinical Services; Patrick Marwick, Acting Executive Director NMHS Mental Health and Robina Redknap, Acting Deputy Executive Director NMHS Mental Health at the WAEDOCS launch
13 June 2016
WA's first specialist statewide eating disorders service officially launched on 10 June.
The WA Eating Disorders Outreach and Consultation Service (WAEDOCS) provides consultation and education services to clinicians caring for adults and youths aged over 16 with eating disorders.
Eating disorders fall within the top 10 contributors of disease in Australia between the ages of 16 to 24 years and have a mortality rate of up to 20 per cent. Those suffering anorexia nervosa have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition.
WAEDOCS will enhance the knowledge and skills of current community and hospital health professionals to deliver best-practice treatment and support through consulting, mentoring, training and education.
This will support sustained recovery and minimise relapse and hospitalisation.
WAEDOCS will support WA health professionals across all settings, including emergency departments, medical wards, mental health units, Hospital in the Home teams and clinical community services.
It is also available to general practitioners and community health and mental health care services across public, private and community-managed organisations.
The service is located at D20 in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and can be contacted on 1300 620 208 between 9.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.