The UK plans to invest more health spending to treat problem gambling under a new long-term plan for health services.
The NHS Long Term Plan focuses on investment in mental health services, which will rise to at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24.
The plan will see around two million more people who suffer anxiety, depression or other mental health issues receive help over the next decade, with 24-hour access to crisis care, the government said.
The Daily Mirror reported that Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered Health Secretary Matt Hancock to establish more NHS treatment centers dedicated to the treatment of gambling addiction. There is presently only one problem gambling center based in Fulham, west London.
A second center is being created by problem gambling funding body GambleAware, which commissioned a new NHS treatment center in Leeds scheduled to open in April.
Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, supported the NHS proposal.
“For the past 10 years GambleAware has funded the National Problem Gambling Clinic at CNWL NHS Foundation Trust and, as a charity, we are immensely proud of how the clinic has demonstrated the contribution the NHS can make to the treatment of gambling addiction,” he said. “Too often, those with gambling addiction suffer in silence, which is why we will continue to work closely with the NHS to help make sure there are good links between the services we commission and those commissioned by the NHS.”
In a related story, three more UK high-street banks have announced plans to allow customers to control and block particular payments via mobile applications. The move follows a similar plan announced by Barclays.
Lloyds, Santander, and RBS have approved proposals to develop payment-blocking functions that are expected to effect transactions made to bookmakers and online betting sites and provide greater protections to problem gamblers.
Barclays has announced a plan to integrate a “gambling block” on its digital applications. The gambling-block allows customers to turn off engagements with all gambling-related properties, as well as blocking payments in four additional categories: food and drink; petrol stations; groceries and supermarkets; and premium websites and phone lines.
