The NHS Northern Gambling Service has revealed how many patients it has helped during its first year of operation.
In a tumultuous 12 months in which Covid-19 lockdown restrictions led to a significant increase in online gambling, new data shows that nearly five million British people have experienced harm linked to gambling.
The Northern Gambling Service has provided free, confidential and effective treatment for more than 400 people harmed by gambling and those struggling with gambling addiction across the North.
Consultant Psychologist Matthew Gaskell, Clinical Lead for the NHS Northern Gambling Service, said: “What we, our team and our clients have achieved in 12 months is truly amazing.
"From a starting position of no formalised NHS treatment for the millions of people harmed by gambling in the North, we have delivered a truly Northern service with our three clinics reaching those who desperately want a life changing intervention.”
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