As reported by Digital Health, Step Care delivers its support through three structured pathways
One of these, known as “Starting Well”, focuses on people whose condition may otherwise lead to hospital admission, aiming to stabilise patients early and help them remain in the community.
The digital programme was created by the HOPE Provider Collaborative and operates with input from a multidisciplinary team spanning psychology, nursing, dietetics and art therapy.
The service was designed to tackle common gaps in care for people with eating disorders, including disrupted transitions between services, repeated inpatient admissions and limited availability of intensive day treatment.
Findings from an evaluation published on 14 February 2026 in the Journal of Eating Disorders suggest the approach is engaging patients effectively. Researchers reported high participation and completion rates among adults with severe eating disorders, including many who had been living with the illness for long periods.
During the evaluation period, from June 2023 to June 2024, the service received 124 referrals. Of those, 66 adults went on to receive treatment through the programme.
Outcomes from the study showed that 77% of participants were able to move on to community-based care, and only a single unplanned hospital admission was recorded.
Sharon Ryan, nurse lead for the Step Care service at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The weeks after leaving hospital are often the most fragile.”
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