New Gambling addition service to help people across the South West
They will provide specialist therapies to help with the impact of addiction
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has launched the South West Gambling Service.
Working in partnership with Mental Health Matters, H2CD, Togetherall, Dr Julian and Intuitive Thinking Skills the service is set to provide specialist therapies and a range of interventions including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
It's thought that over 130,000 people across the UK could be experiencing problems due to gambling according to Gambling Commission figures, with around 1.3 million people engaging in either moderate or low-risk gambling – although other research estimates that this figure could be higher.
Chris Gillmore, South West Gambling Service Clinical Lead said:
“Gambling Disorder is a common mental health condition that has many negative effects on people's lives – we are pleased that gambling disorder has been recognised as a national and regional NHS priority.
“The new NHS South West Gambling Service offers people affected by gambling the very latest evidence-based treatments and support. We are collaborating with partner organisations to deliver a comprehensive treatment pathway to the South West community.
“Patients are able to self-refer into the service by contacting us via telephone, as well as getting referred from a local healthcare professional, so anybody who thinks they may need support should get in touch."
NHS figures published in November last year show referrals for treatment for gambling addiction were up 42% between April and September with an extra 178 patients referred compared to the same period in 2021.
Mathew Page, Chief Operating Officer of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said:
“The impacts of harmful gambling are widespread, affecting people’s relationships and health.
“Figures demonstrate this is a growing issue and we will work to protect people from the damaging impacts of harmful gambling.”
You can find out more about the The South West Gambling Service here or you can refer yourself by calling 0330 022 3175.