Report

Slipping through the cracks

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation explores the challenges and barriers frontline services face in identifying gambling related harm.

Gambling is a common practice in Britain, but can be highly addictive. This briefing explores the challenges and barriers frontline services face in identifying gambling related harms, drawing on existing literature alongside interviews of those working in the health, social and voluntary & community services.

KEY POINTS

Gambling is a common activity in the UK. However, health, financial and social harms can be associated with the activity – with 2.7% of adults in Britain scoring an eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (representing problem gambling).

There has been a gradual shift to viewing gambling associated harms through a public health lens, but this approach is much less common than with other similar issues, such as alcohol or drug related harms. On a national level, progress has been slow. Locally, some local government public health teams have taken it on directly, but approaches differ across the country.

Frontline services across health and the third sector can play an important role in identifying gambling harms and supporting those experiencing them. However, the systems and processes of these services do not always enable the identification of harms, which means opportunities to identify gambling related harm are missed. Other barriers included a knowledge-action gap, lack of expertise, and long waiting lists creating pressure on services.

Common challenges faced by frontline services to identifying harms and providing support include: siloed rather than integrated support, considerable variation between local public health strategies, patchy information sharing and a lack of inclusion of gambling in long-term planning.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care should ensure there is adequate and accessible gambling treatment capacity nationwide.

Questions on gambling should be included in patient questionnaires as standard.

Councils should be legally mandated to address gambling related harm in their public health policies, as they are required to do for alcohol related harm, substance misuse and smoking cessation.

A national gambling database should be created, to gather data from all Integrated Care Boards on the current state of gambling harms and to monitor treatment pathways.

Local authorities should embed gambling prevention as a local health priority.