NHS Report That Gambling Support Seekers Have Increased Massively
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The National Health Service (NHS) has revealed that referrals to gambling clinics have surged by more than 50% over the past year. The healthcare service released the report as it launched a new NHS establishment located in the heart of Sheffield city center. According to the NHS, the new site opens in response to the ongoing demand for problem gambling treatment services and would be free to anyone who needs it.
With the development, NHS now has 15 problem gambling clinics across England, seven of which were unveiled within the previous year. The first clinic was launched in London in 2008 and caters to patients aged 13 and above. Over the past year, a total of 421 referrals were directed to this clinic.
NHS reports treating up to 3,000 individuals annually, with funding provided by NHS England. From 2022 to 2023, NHS gambling clinics in England received 1,389 referrals, an increase of 79% compared to two years prior, when 775 referrals were recorded between 2020 and 2021.
We're picking up pieces from a gambling industry that's well out of control and our laws and regulations haven't kept up with it. People are suffering - people are struggling - it's hidden, it's quiet. Families and our communities are suffering at the hands of the industry so it is really important people come forward and get the help and support they need and deserve.
Call for Other Actors to Help Gambling Addicts
However, Amanda Pritchard, the Chief Executive of the NHS emphasized that support for addicts should extend beyond the healthcare system. She urged for collaborative efforts from the gambling industry and societies as a whole to address the severe consequences of problem gambling and gambling addiction “which can be deeply destructive and destroy lives.”
The Gambling Commission has announced that it is currently trying out new approaches to evaluate a customer’s financial weaknesses in accordance with new government measures.
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