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Gambling Clinic Manchester

The first NHS gambling clinic for children and young people will open this year - a new network of services for addicts being rolled out as part of the NHS Long Term Plan

Gambling

NHS England say the new services are in response to growing concern that problem gambling is being fuelled by online gaming sites and targeted advertising.

The Gambling Commission says that 55,000 children are classed as having a gambling problem, just part of the hundreds of thousands of people in England who have a serious problem with gambling. On top of that, there are an additional 2 million people who are at risk of developing a gambling disorder.

  1. These are The National Problem Gambling Clinic, in London, which has opened a Children and Young People clinic; a clinic in Sunderland; and – due to be launched in March – a clinic in Manchester. The Government also announced a new United Kingdom-wide cross-Government addiction strategy, which includes gambling within its remit.
  2. There is a very fine line between problem gambling or Connecticut gambling addiction and gambling too much. The critical sign of problem gambling is often hidden from awareness, with denial.

The first National Problem Gambling Clinic, offering support to people aged 13 to 25, is set to open.

Specialist face-to-face NHS treatment for gambling addiction has only been available in London up until this point, but is being made available across the country as part of the Long Term Plan.

Up to 14 new NHS clinics are being opened – starting with the NHS Northern Gambling Service in Leeds this summer, followed by Manchester and Sunderland, according to an NHS announcement. The National Problem Gambling Clinic in London will also offer specialist help for children and young people aged 13 to 25 as part of an expansion which will also ramp up treatment for adults.

Simon Stevens, NHS England chief executive, said: “The links between problem gambling and stress, depression and mental health problems are growing and there are too many stories of lives lost and families destroyed.

“This action shows just how seriously the NHS takes the threat of gambling addiction, even in young people, but we need to be clear – tackling mental ill health caused by addiction is everyone’s responsibility – especially those firms that directly contribute to the problem.

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“This is an industry that splashes £1.5 billion on marketing and advertising campaigns, much of it now pumped out online and through social media, but it has been spending just a fraction of that helping customers and their families deal with the direct consequences of addiction.

“The sums just don’t add up and that is why as well as voluntary action it makes sense to hold open the possibility of a mandatory levy if experience shows that’s what’s needed. A levy to fund evidence-based NHS treatment, research and education can substantially increase the money available, so that taxpayers and the NHS are not left to pick up a huge tab.”

The development of new clinics should give people with gambling problems, faster access to specialist, evidence-based services. The services will see psychiatrists and clinical psychologists working with patients whose lives are being wrecked by severe or complex issues with gambling.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national director for mental health said: “This has the potential to be a major turning point and it is all about making sure the NHS does everything it can to help people of all ages, who are seriously addicted to gambling. There is already a big push to transform mental health services across the board for children and young people and the specific focus on gambling related addiction is the logical next step, particularly given the explosion of online gambling.”

Once referred to a clinic, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists will work with patients who could have a range of complex gambling related difficulties, including:

  • A lengthy period of problem gambling with little or no abstinence
  • Mental health difficulties, compulsive behaviours, risk of self-harm or substance misuse
  • Developmental disorders such as ADHD, ASD or difficulties with cognitive or intellectual functioning
  • Adverse experiences in childhood that might underlie the gambling problem

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I have seen first-hand the devastating impact gambling addiction can have on people’s lives and I am determined to do everything I can to help anyone affected get the help and support they need.

“We know too many young people face their lives being blighted by problem gambling – so these new clinics will also look at what more can be done to help them. These new specialist services, delivered as part of our NHS Long Term Plan, demonstrate the Government’s commitment to tackle the danger problem gambling can pose and my determination to ensure society’s most vulnerable are protected.”

Worried about gambling but not sure if you have a problem? The NHS has a questionnaire that may be able to help you determine if you have a problem with gambling.

GamCare offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK. Visit their website or ring 0808 8020 133 from 8am to midnight, seven days a week.

Some alternative therapies have been found to be effective in managing addictions. Hypnotherapy, in particular, can help change the negative thoughts and behaviours associated with the addiction, using the power of suggestion. Learn more about hypnotherapy for gambling addiction on Hypnotherapy Directory.

Need someone to talk to? Counselling may help. Enter your location in the box below to find a counsellor near you.

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

As with all addictions, it is hard to know the exact numbers of people at risk of harmful gambling, especially as Covid restrictions drive more extreme gambling behaviour. But we do know there are between three and five million harmful gamblers across the UK – and there is an urgent need for those who have accepted they have a problem to get specialist help. Often the challenge is helping them to find it.

Back in March, our second Northern Gambling Service clinic opened in Salford. The service, one of only two dedicated NHS treatment services for those harmed by gambling, is the only one outside London and we cover all of the North. As well as the Leeds and North West clinics we also have one in Sunderland which covers the North East.

The service has 18 clinicians and support staff and includes psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, and mental health nurses. The clinics also have experts by experience – people who have recovered from gambling addiction.

One issue we are grappling with is the lack of awareness of gambling as a harmful addiction or problem.

Nhs Northern Gambling Clinic Manchester

Shifting the Odds aims to tackle this. It’s an initiative to give GPs and other primary care providers the tools – knowledge, advice and confidence – they need to start integrating questions about potentially harmful gambling into patient health screening questionnaires. The campaign will also highlight how to introduce the topic of potential harmful gambling during patient consultations and other patient interactions. Many patients will see their GPs with related problems (e.g. depression, relationship problems, financial hardship), but struggle to open up about the root cause. We want to help primary care professionals to raise this issue.

We believe there are hundreds of thousands of patients in Greater Manchester who would benefit from our service, but they don’t have access to information and advice about harmful gambling and where they can turn to get help.

Gambling

We want to help GPs and primary care providers feel more comfortable talking about harmful gambling, recognising the signs (such as they are) and taking appropriate action by referring to our service – by phone (0300 300 1490) or by email (referral.ngs@nhs.net).

Gambling Clinic Manchester

Nhs Gambling Clinic Manchester

We also accept self-referrals, a route taken by Peter Collins from Leigh. Peter started gambling in his early teens and had been gambling for over 40 years by the time he contacted us.

“In the last ten years my gambling had taken control of me rather than me controlling it,” he said.

“I was closing myself away, losing my confidence and my self-esteem. I was spiraling into a state of depression – and to make matters worse, I started drinking more as well.

“It was becoming a marriage made in hell, the gambling and drinking fueling each other. I had sought help in the past but I was in denial of the state and severity of my problems and so nothing worked for me.

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“At my darkest hour, I saw that the Northern Gambling Service was opening a clinic in Salford and I took one last roll of dice and got in touch.

“The team was amazingly welcoming, putting me at ease and almost immediately we were going into depth about my troubles. And I was opening up for the first time, not only to someone else but to myself.

“Since that first meeting in March, my life has been transformed. I am 28 weeks abstinent, my confidence has returned, my family are thrilled and I am discovering new things in life – I am in control.

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“Without the team at the Northern Gambling Service I hate to think where I would be right now.”

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Let’s shift the odds for people like Peter across Greater Manchester. There are many more who could benefit from the Northern Gambling Service and we look forward to working more closely with primary care colleagues over the coming months.