As the ramifications of the statutory levy continue to play out, GamCare has boosted its ranks with the appointment of Chris Thornton as the charity’s new Director of Operations.
Thornton will be tasked with the delivery and performance of GamCare’s national and regional services, including the National Gambling Helpline, and has significant experience working with organisations funded by the NHS.
This experience will be vital for GamCare as it continues to navigate a new era where the NHS is now the commissioner of gambling harm treatment under the statutory levy, having officially replaced GambleAware in April.
Thornton has previously worked with the British Red Cross across the North of England and the Isle of Man, where Gamcare said he was responsible for managing £3m in annual income from the NHS and local commission services, as well as Primary Care Sheffield and St John Ambulance.
Victoria Corbishley, Chief Executive Officer of GamCare, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Chris to GamCare and to the Executive Leadership Team. He brings exactly the combination of strategic and operational leadership that reflects how we work, significant experience of leading complex health and community services at scale, a strong track record of evidencing impact, and a deep commitment to reaching people who are often underserved.”
Complications aplenty
Thornton’s knowledge of working alongside the NHS will be particularly welcome for GamCare, given the upheaval expected to take place through the implementation of the NHS Modernisation Bill.
Crucially for the gambling industry, the legislation will abolish NHS England, the body that currently oversees gambling harm treatment with its Scottish and Welsh equivalents.
As a result, funding contracts for the 2027 financial year will now need to be negotiated with a yet-to-be-named organisation that will take over from NHS England.
GamCare described the move as coming at a ‘crucial time’ for gambling harm treatment, as stakeholders continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the levy, which raised £120m funding from UK licensed operators in its first year.
New revenue streams
The organisation received over £4m from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities as part of a wider allocation of £25.4m to gambling harm support services under the prevention arm of the statutory levy, alongside funding from NHS England.
However, amid the uncertainty presented by the levy, the charity said in its latest Trustee Annual Report that it must consider new avenues to broaden its approach to funding to develop ‘more diverse, resilient income streams’.
The charity noted that Thornton previously co-led successful bids worth £22m during his time working at Primary Care Sheffield, where he was in charge of city-wide clinical services.
On his new role, Thornton said: “I’m thrilled to join GamCare at such an important moment for the organisation and for everyone working to reduce gambling harms across the UK.
“The combination of specialist expertise, integrated delivery and frontline impact is rare in any sector, and is shaping how effective support for gambling harms is understood and delivered. I’m looking forward to building on those foundations and to playing my part in ensuring GamCare’s services continue to meet growing demand as the sector evolves.”
