Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of delays to the expansion of gambling addiction as a result of the covid-19 outbreak on the number of people (a) seeking help from the NHS where a gambling disorder was a relevant factor and (b) who have (i) taken and (ii) attempted to take their own lives where gambling disorder was a relevant factor.
The provision of National Health Service treatment services for problem gamblers has continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with many face to face services switching to remote provision. The NHS continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the NHS Long Term Plan commitment to introduce up to 15 clinics by 2023/24.