Eating disorders

An overview of the support available if you think you have an eating disorder and how to access our Eating Disorder Clinic.

If you think you have an eating disorder and you’re registered with the University Health Service, you can access our specialist Eating Disorder Clinic which can offer diagnosis and treatment.

Our treatment aims to deal with your specific fears and concerns and help you relearn to trust yourself to eat a healthy balanced diet.

The clinic has been running for many years and the therapy offered has a sound evidence base and a proven success rate.

How to access the eating disorder clinic

You can be referred to the clinic by a GP or practice nurse or you can self-refer using the form below.

You can only use this form if you’re registered with the University Health Service. If you’re a student and you’re not registered with us please call us on +44 114 222 2100.

Please download the form to your computer before submitting it otherwise the form we receive will be blank.

Self-referral form

Once you’ve been referred, a member of our secretarial team will contact you notifying you of the outcome.

Confirming an ongoing eating disorder

The SCOFF questionnaire is a quick way of confirming an ongoing eating disorder:

Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
Do you worry you have lost Control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than One stone in a 3 month period?
Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
Would you say that Food dominated your life?

If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, then you may have an Eating Disorder.

Other behaviours that are a concern include:

taking laxatives or diet pills
exercising to compensate for eating
panicking if you’re unable or feel you have not done enough to restore a feeling of calmness or control

If you feel that any of this applies to you, please come and see us. When you attend the clinic we will listen to your problems and give you the choice to begin treatment when you’re ready.

If you already have an eating disorder diagnosis

If you already have an eating disorder diagnosis, we would like you to contact us here at UHS as soon as possible, ideally at least two to three months before you start university. This will allow us to work with you, and if necessary your wider healthcare team, to ensure that you are fully supported and prepared in your fitness to study.

We can also work with other teams within the University to ensure that you have any support necessary to allow you to succeed in your time here. Contact us by secure email at syicb-sheffield.universityhealthservice@nhs.net or by speaking with one of our clinicians (via Reception on +44 114 222 2100).

At UHS we follow the HEOPS guidelines (PDF, 120KB) which state the minimum Body Mass Index (BMI) to be in full-time higher education is 17. This applies to students coming back from a Leave of Absence or coming to university for the first time.

Please be aware that all students are screened for their weight and height at registration. It is really important you are open and honest with us about these details when you register in order for us to be able to help you.

Coming to university is a wonderful time in your life but it can also be very challenging. Transitioning to being away from a supportive home environment and somewhere very new and different can be stressful. As such we know that if your BMI is low before you arrive, it places you at a higher risk of becoming more unwell here at university.

We are always extremely happy to meet with you and your family to discuss any questions about this on a case-by-case basis in a supportive and collaborative way.

You can self-refer into our service at any time.

If you’re worried about a friend

If you’re worried about a friend who may have an eating disorder, advise them to make either an appointment with a doctor or with one of our eating disorders specialist nurses here at UHS.

University Health Service