Interim evaluation of Primary Care Gambling Service pilot service
IFF
Overview
The Primary Care Gambling Service (PCGS) is a primary care-based pilot service in South East London for adults age 18 or over experiencing harm from gambling. PCGS is a pilot service funded by a regulatory settlement[1] from the Gambling Commission and developed by the Hurley Group (an NHS Partnership exclusively led by practicing GPs in London[2]). The pilot service runs until March 2022, and GambleAware have committed in principle to commissioning the next phase from April 2022.
GambleAware have commissioned IFF to conduct an interim evaluation of the pilot to date, in order to shape the next phase of work and draw out learning and insights to inform GambleAware’s wider programme of work within primary care.
The interim evaluation began in November 2021, findings from this piece of work are expected to be disseminated in early summer 2022.
The Evaluation
The objective of the evaluation is primarily to review the PCGS model and how well it works in order to help inform the next phase of work and GambleAware’s wider programme of work within primary care. As such, the key aims of the interim evaluation are as follows:
- Understand how well the model is working in practice, considering what outcomes it is achieving and what the key enablers and barriers to success have been; and
- Draw out perspectives on what works, what doesn’t work, and why, with the model in order to shape our wider understanding around primary care interventions.
Methods
This evaluation is primarily made up of qualitative research consisting of interviews with key stakeholders, as well as analysis of the PCGS Patient Tracker and National Gambling Treatment Service data.
[1] https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-gambling-businesses/Compliance/General-compliance/Social-responsibility/Destinations-of-regulatory-settlements-to-be-applied-for-socially-responsible-purposes.aspx
[2] https://www.hurleygroup.co.uk/