GPs asked to identify potential gambling addicts
GPs and other healthcare professionals in England should help identify potential problem gambling, in the same way they look for alcohol and smoking addiction, new guidance says.
In its first recommendations on gambling, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says they should look for "gambling-related harms", including to health, finances and people around the patient, such as their family and local community.
In 2023, a survey of 20,000 adults found 2.5% had a gambling problem, with young men most at risk of addiction.
The Problem Gambling Severity Index remains available on the NHS website.
The people most likely to have a gambling problem
Asking about gambling in an environment where the patient is comfortable, or with a trusted individual, could help breakdown some of the stigma and shame associated with this addiction, it is hoped.
NICE also wants those working in mental health and social services to ask about gambling, especially when speaking to those with depression and anxiety or previous issues with other addictions, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
Those at increased risk may also have other diagnoses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some medications may also make some people more impulsive, while difficult home environments could also increase their risk.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by GambleAware (@gambleawaregb)
National clinical director for primary care Dr Claire Fuller said: "We welcome NICE's decision, as gambling can have a massive impact on people's lives and the lives of the people that care for them, - and as healthcare professionals, we need the right tools to help tackle gambling-related harms."
NHS England says it has opened 15 gambling clinics since 2019, most last year.
They are expected to treat about 3,000 people a year, including access to psychologists and psychiatrists and support for family and friends.
'Gamble, gamble, gamble, that's all I cared about'
'I spent my wedding night gambling away our money'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action. A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over pay. With the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body recommendations. There was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health workers. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay". "Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards." According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting. "It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will say. Resident doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few weeks. The Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action. A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over pay. With the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body recommendations. There was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health workers. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay". "Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards." According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting. "It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will say. Resident doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few weeks. The Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NHS calls for 200,000 new blood donors to maintain supply
The NHS has warned that it continues to face a "challenging" blood shortage as it calls for 200,000 new donors to come forward. Concern over blood stocks prompted the health service to issue an "amber alert" last year, meaning supplies were running low enough to have an impact on patient treatment. Supplies have remained low ever since, with officials warning there is a "critical" need for more donors who have O negative blood, which can be given to the majority of patients. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the body that oversees England's blood donation system, said the number of regular donors needs to rise from around 800,000 to more than one million to maintain a safe and reliable supply. NHSBT chief executive Dr Jo Farrar said: "Our stocks over the past 12 months have been challenging. If we had a million regular donors, this would help keep our stocks healthy - you'd truly be one in a million." There is a pressing need to avoid a "red alert", which would mean demand far exceeds capacity, threatening public safety, NHSBT added. Health Minister Baroness Merron said the NHS was in "urgent need" of more blood donors from all backgrounds. "We are working alongside NHS Blood and Transplant to make donating blood easier than ever before, opening up new donor centres and making appointments available closer to home," she added. NHSBT stressed the need for more black donors in particular, as they are more likely to have specific blood types which can help treat people with sickle cell disease. Just 2% of the population keep the nation's blood stocks afloat by donating regularly, the body said. Donors are defined as regular if they have donated in the last 12 months. The number of people registering as donors rose in 2024, but only 24% of them went on to donate. The appeal comes almost a year after the NHS issued an amber alert for only the second time in its history, last July. It was caused by what the NHS called a "perfect storm" of unfilled appointments at donor centres and increased demand following a cyber-attack, which affected services in London. At that time, stocks of O negative stood at just 1.6 days, and 4.3 days for all types of blood. Two thirds of the blood collected by NHSBT is used to treat people who rely on regular blood transfusions, including people with cancer and blood conditions.
