A TRAFFORD NHS team that supports young people with an eating disorder has won an award for providing excellent care.

The community eating disorders service, part of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, is one of only nine winners of the trust’s CARES Awards.

The Trust provides hundreds of services across 234 sites.

The annual awards aim to recognise teams that demonstrate excellence and this year was the most competitive to date.

The service is for young people who have an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. They provide specialist care and support in the community to help young people avoid having to be admitted to hospital, or to be safely discharged more quickly.

The service is provided across six boroughs of Greater Manchester, including Trafford.

Hannah, a patient of the service, described her emotional journey and how the team has helped her.

She said: “I have anorexia and it took everything I was away from me. I lost my personality and it changed me.

“My eating disorder started mentally in 2015 and in 2016 the physical symptoms started. I was bullied in high school; I was called names and told I was fat. So I stopped going to school and stopped eating until I felt good enough in me, for them.

“I feel I’ve achieved many of my goals. I got discharged from hospital, I have a job and I’ve started college again. I’ve got a life and friends and I’m happy.”

Lisa Lewer, clinical lead for the team, said: “The team works so hard to make a real difference to the life of every single young person we see.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling of pride we feel when our young people are doing well and achieving positive things in their life. We are so proud to have won this award and would like to dedicate it to the young people we care for.”