New NHS Gambling Addiction Clinic Opens in Manchester

The NHS Northern Gambling Service has opened a new gambling addiction clinic in Manchester. The clinic is based in Salford Quays and comprises a range of psychologists, a consultant psychiatrist and a senior mental health nurse.

The new clinic will work alongside teams in Leeds and Sunderland to provide care for those with addictions and complex mental health problems. The service follows a similar initiative launched in the North East last year.

Ged Pickersgill, co-founder of the Well, said the clinic was an example of “out-of-the-box thinking” and that the crossovers between gambling and other forms of addiction was an area “worth exploring.”

“There is a place for statutory services and third-sector organisations to sit alongside each other on this. In a sense, Barrow has led the way on this kind of interaction in terms of some of the work we’ve been engaged in here at the Well. We’d like to explore this further and hope to be able to engage with the new clinic in the coming months,” Ged Pickersgill said.

“I’m delighted to be opening our new clinic in Manchester. This will help make our service more accessible to people in the North West of England where we know there are thousands who need our support. Gambling addiction is a new public health crisis. It’s causing serious harm to thousands of people across the UK. This includes mental health problems, serious debt, breakdown of relationships, loss of employment, crime, homelessness and, tragically, sometimes suicide,” Matthew Gaskell, Clinical Lead for NHS Northern Gambling Service, said.

“Through my work in mental health and addictions treatment over the years I’ve seen the harms that problem gambling can cause people. However the chances of recovery from addictions like problem gambling can be very good with proper treatment. I often see people make good sustained recoveries when they seek help,” Matthew Gaskell added.