Online Gambling Surge Prompts Doctors Plan

The surg in online gambling addiction has prompted a plan to urge doctors to ask patients about gambling.

GPs have been advised to routinely ask patients about gambling, in addition to standard questions about smoking and alcohol.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) ‘Gambling-related harms: identification, assessment and management’ sets out recommendations to better identify those at risk from the damage caused by betting.

Under the guidelines, health professionals are encouraged to ask direct questions such as “Do you gamble?” in regular appointments such as health checks and in cases of “increased risk” such as mental health issues, financial concerns or drug use.

NICE warned that gambling-related harm is an “increasing problem” following the “advent of online gambling and the ease of access to addictive gambling products”, but health and social care services do not routinely check for gambling addiction and most people refer themselves for support.

Instead, the watchdog emphasised that medics and social care practitioners should screen for early signs and direct patients to gambling clinics, self-exclusion software and social support.

Primary Care Medical Director for NHS England Dr Claire Fuller stated: “We welcome NICE’s decision, as gambling can have a massive impact on people’s lives and the lives of the people that care for them, – and as healthcare professionals, we need the right tools to help tackle gambling-related harms.”