GamCare has responded to the King’s Speech and the NHS Modernisation Bill that will abolish NHS England.
Under the Bill, NHS England will be abolished and brought under the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
NHS England is different from the NHS. It is the administrative body that manages how health services are managed and run. It is staffed by managers and officials, not doctors or nurses.
Victoria Corbishley, GamCare CEO, said: “We recognise the Government’s ambition to modernise health commissioning and bring decision-making closer to local communities.
“For people affected by gambling harms, continuity of access to support through any period of structural change will be essential.”
At the time of writing, NHS treatment contracts that are part of the new levy-funded system are issued for a single year only.
This means that commissions for gambling harm services will need to take place ahead of April 2027 under an entirely new commissioning landscape.
During the first wave of services funded by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience Fund, GamCare was provisionally awarded more than £4m ($5.37m).
Corbishley continued: “The first phase of levy-funded commissioning has generated important learning about how services can be commissioned and coordinated effectively across a complex system.
“As one of the largest providers in the sector, with services spanning the Helpline, treatment, outreach and prevention, we have direct experience of what is working well and where the system could be strengthened.
“With further commissioning decisions expected ahead of April 2027, we believe there is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the early implementation of the levy and ensure the next phase is built on the strongest possible foundations. We would welcome the chance to contribute our frontline experience and insight to that process.”
GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline and receives more than 130,000 contacts annually
