Welcome to Ellern Mede

Ellern Mede Eating Disorder Services is widely regarded as the UK’s most specialist provider of intensive inpatient and outpatient treatment for children and young people. We have a higher proportion of staff to patients than any other UK specialist eating disorder provider, able to provide close personal care to all of our patients. In inpatient care, we treat people aged 8 to 18 years with eating disorders as well as young people 18  to 25 to assist with the transition out of children’s and into adult services. Our inpatient service is particularly suitable for patients with Anorexia Nervosa. Our outpatient services help people at an early stage of an eating disorder or post-discharge to support independence. We can see children and young people in outpatients aged 12 to 25. Our outpatient services treat the full range of eating disorders including selective eating disorders, bulimia or binge eating. Outpatients can be seen at our hospitals. Initial appointments can be held in central London by arrangement, however our full treatment programme is provided at the North London hospital sites.

We have two hospitals with specialist eating disorder therapists.  Ellern Mede Ridgeway is in Mill Hill, North London and offers 28 inpatient beds for children and young people aged 8 to 18 years old across three units, Lask, Nunn and the Cottage. Ellern Mede Barnet offers up to 16 inpatient beds across two units, Ash and Rowan. These are split between young people under and over 18, the over 18 ward being a Transition Ward to support young people as they transition from child to adult services. Ellern Mede is expanding its services because of the demand for eating disorders treatment nationally. We will soon announce new services to serve South Yorkshire and The Midlands.

Our high recovery rate for patients is based on the fact that our patients receive a holistic multidisciplinary range of therapies for body and mind until their eating disorder is sufficiently controlled for safe discharge, helping to avoid relapse. We never give up – until the day after the illness does.

Ellern Mede has the benefit of an independent school across both sites, which in 2018 was rated “Outstanding” By Ofsted. The Ellern Mede School provides specialist education for children and young people, aged 8 to 18 years with eating disorders, who are either admitted as inpatients to Ellern Mede and for those who need to continue their education with us after being discharged. The school also serves children and young people locally who have been unable to attend their mainstream school due to illness or anxiety. See the school website at www.ellernmedeschool.com

Inpatients who are at government schools are entitled to apply for educational funding while they are in hospital. Privately educated children are not automatically eligible for funding by local authorities. Private educational packages are advisable when young people are private inpatients at Ellern Mede hospitals. Most inpatients do attend school and it can be a more inclusive experience for private patients to be able to join in this activity. Private inpatient families should discuss the possibility of privately funded education with our school headmaster, Mr Adel Shirbini, prior to admission.

Please contact us via our website or call us confidentially on 020 3209 7900 and ask for Private or NHS Referrals.