- GPs should also discuss software blocking tools to limit online gambling
Under new guidelines, doctors should ask patients if they have a gambling problem, just as they ask about drugs, smoking and alcohol.
Bosses at the National Institute for Health and Care (Nice) say anyone who visits an NHS health professional because of depression, anxiety or thoughts of self-harm or suicide should be asked about gambling.
They should be encouraged to complete an online questionnaire that will help assess the severity of the addiction, Nice suggests, and those who score an eight or higher should seek support and treatment from gambling services.
GPs should also discuss software blocking tools to limit online gambling and consider referring patients to cognitive behavioral therapy.
The draft recommendations were made in an effort to help people at risk of addiction manage their thoughts and urges.
Bosses at the National Institute for Health and Care (Nice) say anyone who visits an NHS health professional because of depression, anxiety or thoughts of self-harm or suicide should be asked about gambling (File image)
Professor Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer and interim director of the Center for Guidelines in Nice, said: ‘Harmful gambling causes enormous misery for everyone who encounters it.
“We want those who need help or are at risk to be identified earlier and receive appropriate help.”
Since 2019, NHS England has opened twelve gambling treatment clinics, with three more due to open in the coming months.
It plans to treat up to 3,000 people a year across its 15 facilities, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Official data showed that around 1,400 people were referred for help for gambling addiction last year, a third more than in 2021.
Doctors should ask patients if they have a gambling problem, just as they ask about drugs, smoking and alcohol, according to new guidelines (File image)
Fiona Macleod, director of services at charity GamCare, said Nice’s guidance is “an important step”.
She said: ‘Identifying a problem with gambling as early as possible is crucial to prevent damage happening later, and we know there is an important role that healthcare professionals can play to help more people get the support find what they need.
‘We believe that these recommendations, if implemented, will provide a greater opportunity to prevent gambling harm in Britain. They are an important step in encouraging more people to seek support, through services like GamCare.”
Zoe Osmond, chief executive of GambleAware, also welcomed the draft guidance, saying: ‘Gambling harm is a serious public health problem that can affect anyone, and healthcare professionals are ideally placed to identify and help those affected .
‘We welcome the development of guidance to further inform the treatment of people seriously affected by gambling harms and will respond to the consultation with our views.’