'An absolute system failure' - Livingston mum speaks out after daughter waits a year for anorexia diagnosis

She wants to help others in the same situation.

Molly was admitted to hospital in December 2019.

A Livingston mum has appealed for better support for eating disorders after it took a year for her daughter to be diagnosed with anorexia.

Lorraine Gillies first tried to get her daughter Molly, then 15, seen by a mental health professional in January 2019.

She knew something was wrong but believed Molly to have anxiety or depression.

However it was not until December 2019 that Molly was seen by a psychiatrist, despite appointments with her local GP every six weeks until then.

She was also admitted to St John’s Hospital in Livingston in August, but the illness was not picked up.

“It’s an absolute failure of the system,” said Ms Gillies.

“Molly was passed from one team to another and nobody took responsibility. We were devastated and very angry.”

Molly was eventually seen by a psychiatrist in December.

Two days later Ms Gillies got a call telling her to bring her to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where she spent four days in the young persons’ unit.

“Her heart was in failure, her organs were shutting down, it was really serious, my daughter nearly died,” said Ms Gillies.

“We had been trying really hard to have her seen by a mental health professional for a year.

“If this happened to Molly in Livingston, it must be happening in households all over.”

Since she started treatment Molly is doing much better, with support from her parents.

“We literally went to war with anorexia,” Ms Gillies said.

“We both took time off work, we put every bit of energy into fighting it. Not everyone can put that time in and that’s why it’s so important to have support from elsewhere.”

Ms Gillies now wants to support other families affected by eating disorders.

“Molly is now recovering, and we want to spread the message that people can recover,” she said.

Professor Alex McMahon, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at NHS Lothian said: “NHS Lothian is committed to providing the highest standards of safe, effective and quality inpatient and outpatient care to patients with eating disorders and we apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer than they should have.

“We are currently recruiting to both our specialist adult outpatient and child and adolescent mental health services which will improve access and reduce waiting times further.

“Children, young people and adults can access services according to need through their GP who will offer treatment in the community or make appropriate referral to either our outpatient or inpatient services.”