15 NHS gambling clinics ‘nowhere near enough’, says mother who lost her son to suicide – iNews

The NHS plan to open 15 clinics to help the rising number of problem gamblers is simply not enough to treat 1.4 million addicts, according to a mother whose son killed himself after becoming hooked on gambling at school.

Liz Ritchie, who lost her son Jack, 24, to gambling-related suicide in 2017, welcomed doctors calls for medics to have more training to try and identify and manage gambling as a health risk.

She said clinical training was essential to providing early diagnosis and referral to specialist clinics.

Delegates at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference in Brighton warned the regulation of gambling in the UK was inadequate, neither preventing people, especially younger people, becoming gamblers, nor effectively managing people who have developed problems.

They said the number of specialist treatment clinics should be expanded significantly and must include a specific pathway for doctors with a gambling disorder.

NHS England has set a target to open 15 gambling clinics by 2024. There are five NHS gambling clinics currently open in London, Leeds, Manchester, Sunderland and a national children and young persons pilot clinic.

Two clinics in Stoke and Southampton that were due to open in May have yet do so. Officials hope they will open in the summer.

Mrs Ritchie, co-founder of the charity Gambling with Lives, said: Bereaved families are pleased that the BMA is taking gambling disorder seriously. Gambling harm has the greatest effect on the individual gambling but families, friends and communities also suffer terribly.

Up to 1.4 million people have a gambling addiction in the UK and 15 clinics simply wont be enough when they are finally delivered at the moment there are only seven.

We need a statutory levy on gambling industry profits to pay for more clinics, something that must be delivered in the imminent Gambling Act review White Paper.

Clinical training is essential to provide early diagnosis, low intensity interventions and referral to specialist clinics.

Currently information about the link between gambling on high risk products and the harm to mental health is inadequate and even misleading. Deaths can be prevented by health information.

Medics also called for changes to the rules for coroners courts, so that coroners would be able to cite gambling as a factor in suicides.

There is a statutory duty for coroners to determine who the deceased was, and how, when and where they died, but there is no requirement on them to explain why a person took their own life, and a change in the law would be needed to alter this.

Earlier this year, Sheffield Coroner David Urpeth delivered a narrative conclusion in the inquest into the death of Jack Ritchie, who was teaching English in Hanoi at the time of his death.

Mrs Ritchie and her husband Charles had fought for an inquest that not only examined their sons death but also state regulation of the gambling industry.

The coroner did not rule that any arm of the state had directly breached any duty to protect Jacks life, but said warnings, information and treatment for problem gamblers at the time of the 24-year-olds death were woefully inadequate and failed to meet Jacks needs.

The situation had improved but there was still significantly more that needed to be done, he said.

Mr Urpeth wrote to government departments and gambling agencies with warnings about how future deaths could be prevented. He also highlighted the need for more training for GPs about gambling disorders.

Mrs Ritchie said: There are over 400 suicides related to gambling per year in England alone but only a few are beginning to be recorded by coroners. If coroners do investigate they can issue Prevention of Future Deaths rulings that will affect government policy to prevent more families suffering a lifetime of loss.

Mrs Ritchie said doctors cannot bear the whole burden for public health interventions alone, adding: Public health starts with prevention and we are dealing with a commercial sector that relies on addiction for its business model.

Therefore it is up to the Government to make gambling products safer; to stop the wall-to-wall advertising and ensure that the public has proper information on the risks associated with gambling; and to tighten affordability regulations to prevent the incentivisation of addiction development.

The North of England has the highest prevalence of at-risk gamblers, with 4.4 per cent of adults in the North West and 4.9 per cent in the North East being at the most risk of addiction.

Between April and December last year, 668 people with the most severe gambling addiction issues were referred to NHS gambling clinics, up from 575 during the same period in 2020 a 16.2 per cent increase.

BMA board of science member Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones said: The BMA recognises that gambling is a serious public health issue with strong links to mental health issues and associated issues.

The NHS should have the resources needed to respond to the growing number of people affected by problem gambling and healthcare professionals should be supported to diagnose, treat and refer patients effectively.

Failure to address this will also exacerbate health inequalities, as those living in the most deprived areas have the highest levels of gambling and therefore the associated health risks.

There is a need to regulate gambling further to prevent people, especially young people, developing gambling problems and to manage those who have already developed a problem.

It also important that doctors themselves who are affected by gambling addiction receive appropriate and tailored support. We await the imminent publication of the Governments White Paper on gambling reform and will look to engage with them and input on behalf of the BMA.

A government spokesperson said: The tragic death of Jack Ritchie is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences harmful gambling can have on individuals, their families and friends.

As set out in our response to the Preventing Future Deaths report, we are committed to working with the NHS and stakeholders to ensure those experiencing gambling-related harms are able to access the quality treatment and support they need, when they need it. On top of specialist support for individuals from the NHS, GambleAware receive funding to commission voluntary sector services to provide advice, support and treatment to people experiencing problem gambling.

For emotional support, please contact Samaritans helpline on 116 123. For anyone seeking information on help and support in their area, contact Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393

Read the original here:

15 NHS gambling clinics 'nowhere near enough', says mother who lost her son to suicide - iNews