NHS England (NHSE) has opened a new gambling clinic in Sheffield, taking the overall number of specialist services up to 15 around the country.
The NHS Long Term Plan pledged to expand the number of regional gambling services to serve a greater number of people after the first, national clinic opened in London during 2008.
In the last year alone, the NHS has doubled the amount of gambling clinics, with services now operational in:
- London
- Milton Keynes
- Thurrock, Bristol
- Derby
- Liverpool
- Blackpool
- Preston
- Leeds
- Newcastle
- Manchester
- Southampton
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford
NHSE expects around 3,000 people a year to benefit from the 15 clinics.
Gambling commission figures have shown that nearly 140,000 people could be problem gambling, while another 1.3 million are at a moderate to low-risk while gambling.
NHSE says the annual estimate of suicides associated with gambling is approximately 400, although research has suggested that 55,000 11-16-year-olds have a gambling problem, with another 99,000 coming under the ‘at risk’ bracket.
NHSE’s chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “The opening of the new NHS gambling clinic is a significant milestone and amid record demand for help, it is timely for patients who desperately need this vital treatment.”
Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE, national clinical advisor on gambling harms, added: “We can now say there is no postcode lottery to treating gambling and all can benefit from evidence-based treatment to tackle this destructive illness which harms not only individuals but also their families.”
Image credit: iStock
