First NHS gambling rehab clinic opens
26 November 2008 00:00 in Medical Government/ NHS related news
The first NHS gambling rehabilitation centre has opened in Soho, west London.
Named the National Problem Gambling Clinic, the service will be tested for a year and will see patients undergo sessions with experts including psychologists, psychiatrists and debt management experts.
Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, lead consultant psychiatrist at the centre, said staff had developed a "unique treatment package", in an attempt to address the difficulties "problem gamblers" have.
She continued: "Due to the nature of their addiction, gamblers' finances are often in bad shape so an important part of treatment is to tackle debt management and employment issues."
According to figures released last year by the Gambling Commission, more than 250,000 people in Britain are classed as problem gamblers.
In other news, lung cancer sufferers are set to be given a life-prolonging drug on the NHS, following a deal with manufacturers to cut the medication's price.
Patients in the health service's hospitals will receive Tarceva, also known as erlotinib, which will cost no more than the standard current treatment.
The drug is used on patients whose cancer has come back after at least one course of chemotherapy.
Clinical and public health director at Nice professor Peter Littlejohns said the cost of treating a patient with erlotinib would be "the same" as docetaxel.
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