Gambling harms are increasingly viewed as a public health issue and three consultations are underway addressing current policy developments. Unit researchers Caroline Norrie and Cat Forward have responded to all three of these consultations, sharing findings from their recent NIHR-funded study about identifying and supporting people affected by gambling harms in adult social care services.

The first consultation is being undertaken by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about their draft guidelines recommending healthcare staff ask service users about gambling harms in routine practice (closed 15 November, 2023). The second London Assembly consultation requested evidence about the health impacts of gambling in London (closed 29 November, 2023). Finally, the third Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation asks for opinions on the structure, distribution and governance of the new statutory levy on gambling operators. It addresses how levy funds should be shared and organised across research, education and treatment (RET) (closed 14 December, 2023).

About recent Unit gambling research

Caroline Norrie, Cat Forward and colleagues recently completed a study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research for Social Care Programme: Developing a question to identify gambling harms to individuals or affected others and piloting it in three local authorities. Findings were presented at a webinar (video recording of the webinar: YouTube, 56 mins).

Two questions have been developed for asking about gambling harms to individuals and affected others. For these, and for free staff training for social care staff (guidance, slides and a video) please visit the study website at King's or GamCare.

The study was undertaken together with GamCare, the UK’s largest gambling support charity, and with PwLE support from BetKnowMore charity.

Please get in touch with caroline.norrie@kcl.ac.uk if you would like more information on this work. The final report from the study is under review.