Meeting of the Parliament 17 February 2026 [Draft]
I, too, thank Elena Whitham for bringing this important debate to the chamber, and I welcome the guests to the public gallery. I thank parents such as David for pushing us, as politicians, to do more.
Like other parties, Scottish Labour supports the aims and objectives of eating disorders awareness week 2026, which this year—as we heard from other members—has a particular focus on the theme of community. That is such an important point to make.
As we have heard from other members, at least 100,000 people in Scotland are living with an eating disorder, and hundreds of thousands more are impacted as relatives, friends and colleagues. However, despite the number of people who are affected, we know that many people—both those who are personally living with an eating disorder and family members and friends who are trying to support a loved one with an eating disorder—will feel like they are facing the illness alone.
As has been said, eating disorders can be deeply isolating, and it can be frightening and difficult to reach out for support. We hear that repeatedly from those who are recovering and from their families. Some of the hardest times come before one realises that there are other people who have had similar experiences and other people to reach out to who care and have the skills to help. It often feels lonely, so we need that community approach at many different points on the journey.
In researching for the debate, I was pleased to see that Beat’s online page talks about
“celebrating the power of community”
and the real, important role that
“family, friends, and other support networks play in helping someone feel supported, understood, and never alone on their journey from seeking help, undergoing treatment and beyond.”
A community in that sense can and will extend throughout the journey.
Before coming to this place, I worked for some time in this particular field, and I feel that the importance of wider family, friends and community in supporting people cannot be overplayed. Recovery is always best when we have others around us, and often the ability to be part of a team together is not valued enough. When I talk about a team, I mean being together wherever that is, whether it is with our close family or close friends, with an official care team or with people who may not know much but reach out to us, such as those who are part of a local charity or community group. Sometimes, even the kindness of strangers can make a difference.
Therefore, I find the focus this year on community to be very important, and I want to amplify what Elena Whitham, the member who brought this debate to the chamber, said. We, as politicians, should be part of that community, too, and we must do our bit as legislators and policy makers to provide support. In fact, when I was looking through some information on this matter, I noted that Beat has talked about having the widest community possible and mentions the role that online communities can play. We need to highlight the importance to people of having that sense of community.
Like others, I acknowledge the comprehensive recommendations set out in the 2021 national review of eating disorder services, and I accept that a lot of work on this issue has been undertaken by Government and by organisations such as Beat. However, I agree that we must continue to advance, and at some pace. In that respect, I would like to raise the issue of community and local services that people can access. When I met representatives of Beat in my office, they explained to me how its report “There’s no place like home: The case for intensive community and day treatments for eating disorders” shows an urgent need to expand access to intensive community and day treatments and to ensure that such services are available to people of all ages across the UK, so that they can be seen frequently. That is perhaps a different approach from the models that we have at the moment, whereby people might be seen only weekly. Beat also commented on the importance of recovery within the community and noted that things such as eating out are done better through those kinds of networks and services.
Given the pressure of time, I will stop there. I look forward to hearing the minister’s response to this evening’s debate, which I have really enjoyed.