The NHS Northern Gambling Service has established a new gambling addiction clinic based in Manchester as part of its efforts to help more people who are suffering from problem gambling in the northern part of the country.
The new base of the service is in Salford Quays. It is set to serve North Wales, the northern midlands and the North West of England. It will host several specialists, including a senior mental health nurse, a consultant psychiatrist, a consultant psychologist and clinical psychologist, who will take care of people who need help to battle severe addictions, as well as individuals who are dealing with additional mental health problems. The professionals working in the new NHS clinic will also help people who may be at risk, including the risk of taking their own lives.
The NHS Northern Gambling Service started operation in September 2019. And now, the new clinic in North West England is the latest addition to the NHS gambling service network and will operate as part of the commitments made by the National Health Service in its Long Term Plan as part of the organisation’s policy aimed at tackling gambling addiction.
NHS Northern Gambling Service Backs Problem Gamblers Who Fight Addiction
The boss of the new NHS Northern Gambling Service, Matthew Gaskell, explained that the new clinic in Manchester is set to help the National Health Service make its services more accessible to people who live in the North West part of England – a region that, according to recent reports, is home to thousands of people who need support to deal with their problem gambling.
Mr Gaskell described gambling addiction as a “new public health crisis” because it ends up causing serious harm to a massive number of people across the UK. According to regulatory reports, the harm which problem gambling inflicts to individuals involves not only serious mental health problems but also falling into debt, loss of employment, homelessness, family and relationship breakdowns, crime, and even suicide.
As explained by the new clinical lead, the NHS Northern Gambling Service works alongside a number of other charity organisations and agencies aimed at supporting people with such gambling problems. The Service also provides support and professional advice for their families and friends, as well as to anyone who might be affected by their gambling addiction.
Back in September 2019, the first NHS gambling clinic outside London started operation in Leeds. According to previously revealed data, there are currently more than 10,000 problem gamblers in Leeds only. A recent survey has shown that one person takes their own life every day due to gambling addiction, which has been one of the main reasons why the NHS has started the operation of the Northern Gambling Service and has received £34 billion from the Government to fund its Long Term Plan.
- Author
Daniel Williams
