A new UK National Health Service (NHS) backed Primary Care Gambling Service (PCGS) that provides help for adults who have problems related to gambling has opened in London.

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Developed and funded by Hurley Group, a NHS general practice (GP) partnership, the PCGS will work with the National Gambling Treatment Service to to help those suffering from gambling related harm.

About the clinic The Gambling Treatment Clinic at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre is a free and confidential service for gamblers and their family members. Call us on 1800 482 482 to book in. Our clinics are in discreet and easily accessible locations, and we now offer online and phone sessions for those who require it. Harry Hunter Rehabilitation Centre. Harry Hunter Rehabilitation Centre offers a 13 week residential program to adults. This is a staged program which includes the Positive Lifestyle Program, counselling, work therapy and social activities, and some treatment plans allow for a longer stay. The D&A Community Centre Teams provide assessment, early intervention, ongoing treatment, and prevention of drug and alcohol and gambling problems. Drug and alcohol rehab centres across NSW have been overwhelmed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with waiting lists doubling at some clinics and delays of up to six weeks for outpatient counselling. About our gambling rehab centre. The Providence Projects was set up in 1996 to provide addiction treatment to people from all over the UK. Most commonly, alcohol and drugs were the two most common addictions that we saw. Over the last 10 years, we have seen a continual rise in the number of people seeking help for their compulsive gambling.

Dr Clare Gerada will lead the new service, with support from a multidisciplinary team of mental health nurses, general practicioners, treatment practitioners and therapists.

The PCGS worked with charity GamCare to develop an integrated care pathway, and will also provide training to help GPs identify gambling problems in patients.

“There is evidence that many people who have problems related to gambling are in contact with their GP, but don’t necessarily talk about their gambling,” Dr Gerada said.

“We will be exploring how to identify them, and how to help them get access to the treatment that is right for them. We know from other areas of work that people value the option of getting treatment in primary care settings.”

The service will initially focus on South East London – specifically Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich – but plans are in place to expand to other boroughs within the coming months.

In addition, the PCGS will develop a competency framework for the treatment of gambling problems in primary care, and will set out the skills and experience needed for practitioners in this field. The Royal College of General Practitioners will support the PCGS with the new project.

“We welcome the development of a competency framework for gambling treatment in primary care,” Michael Mulholland, professional development officer lead for the Royal College of General Practicioners, said. “This will help GPs and other primary care workers to develop their skills in treating people who are harmed through gambling.”

Anna van der Gaag, chair of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, added: “This new initiative is very significant in expanding the treatment options for people who have experienced harm from gambling and for their families. We want treatment to be as accessible as possible and to remove the barriers that might exist for people seeking help.

“This is one of a number of initiatives that move us to a more joined up approach and I look forward to the lessons we can learn from this work about how we can scale up provision.”

The announcement comes after GambleAware earlier today (8 July) also set out a number of new initiatives to help promote its Safer Gambling Campaign and the National Gambling Treatment Service.

The funding body's board of trustees also responded to recent calls for changes to the funding of gambling research, education and treatment after questions were raised over the independence of its approach. This saw it look to highlight a lack of industry involvement in determining where it allocates funds, following perceived criticism from a recent report by the House of Lords Gambling Select Committee and a number of leading academics in an open letter to the British Medical Journal.

Millions of people suffer from the “silent killer” or the “hidden disease” that is known as gambling addiction. Problem gambling affects both the gambler and the loved ones in a number of ways causing financial hardship, relationship failure, and in severe cases can even result in suicide. Many recovering gambling addicts report that the addiction is like “a living hell” that cannot be escaped. Fortunately, gambling rehab provides those who are suffering from the terrible strongholds of gambling addiction with a safe place to seek solace, counseling and care for their addiction.

For problematic gambling that cannot be controlled, gambling rehab can provide the tools for a successful recovery. Support is a major factor for those who suffer from gambling addiction. Rehab centers provide many levels of support including individual counseling and therapy, group counseling and therapy, and Gamblers Anonymous support groups to assist the patient in finding the strength to stop gambling and to face their problems.

People Gamble for Many Reasons

The specialists who work with problem gamblers in gambling rehab realize that people gamble for many reasons. Some gamble to make more money, others gamble to relieve stress and still others may gamble because they are coping with feelings of being lost or lonely. Because each gambler is different and has very different reasons for placing bets, gambling rehab centers must specialize individual treatment programs to each patient as he or she enters the program.

There is no one-size-fits-all method of treatment that will help all of those addicted to playing. Gambling rehab programs tailor treatment to the needs of the patient based on the severity of their addiction, the length of time they have been gambling, the consequences that have already resulted, the lifestyle of the addict, the affects that the addiction has had on loved ones, and various other factors. Most of the time, mental health counseling is the foundation for the addiction treatment providing the patient with a safe environment to discuss past or present problems that could be the leading cause of the addiction.

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