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HNE Health

Residential Eating Disorders Centre

Need to access care and treatment?

This centre is currently under construction and is not yet accepting referrals or waitlisting patients for care.

If you or a loved one is in need of treatment for an eating disorder, please speak to your GP or other appropriate healthcare professional who can determine the best care plan.

Not every patient with an eating disorder will need the level of care this facility will provide. Admission to the centre will be by referral only and based on clinical need.

If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing an eating disorder or body image concerns, contact the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (ED HOPE) or visit butterfly.org.au

Residential eating Disorders Centre

About

Newcastle will be home to a new $13 million state-wide Residential Eating Disorders Treatment Centre, the first publicly-funded service of its kind in NSW.

The 12-bed centre will be built at Charlestown and will provide specialist support to people with severe eating disorders. The centre will provide wrap-around care in a home-like environment to people who require more support than a day program can provide, but don’t need to be hospitalised.

A multi-disciplinary team of specialists will address all aspects of recovery - the physical, psychological and lifestyle - giving people the best chance of living a full, rich and healthy life. The centre will also have capacity to provide whole-of-family therapy, which is vital to the ongoing treatment and recovery of those experiencing an eating disorder.

The Centre is anticipated to be completed in 2024.

Community Benefit

Every quarter in NSW, more than 1,600 people living with an eating disorder seek care from a NSW Hospital, mental health service or emergency department. Eating disorders are extremely complex illnesses and have one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness.

The Centre will allow NSW residents with eating disorders over the age of 16 years access to a specialist service.

While it is a step-down from in-patient hospitalisation, following medical and nutritional stabilisation, it’s a step-up from day programs or community-based care for people who may require a more intensive approach.

Project progress

  • The project was announced in April 2022
  • The Concept Design for the centre was released in September 2022
  • The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) was published in December 2022
  • Graph Builders started work on site in February 2023, with establishment of site sheds, land clearing, and mine grouting in preparation for the main build. This work is currently ongoing.
  • Main works will start in the coming months.

Get in touch

For any enquiries about this project please email HNELHD-InfrastructurePlanningSustainability@health.nsw.gov.au

Stay connected

Stay up to date with the project via this page and also by following the HNE Health Facebook page.