Prof Sir Ian Gilmore

Who Prof Sir Ian Gilmore is

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore is Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA), a coalition of more than 60 non-governmental organisations that promotes evidence-based policies to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. He founded the AHA in 2007 during his tenure as President of the Royal College of Physicians (2006–2010), and is a professor of hepatology and honorary consultant physician at the Royal Liverpool University Hospitals. He is also Director of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research at the University of Liverpool, and serves as President of the British Medical Association. He is known for campaigning for minimum unit pricing, alcohol tax reform, and marketing restrictions, and in 2018 resigned publicly as co-chair of Public Health England's alcohol leadership board over its partnership with industry-funded Drinkaware. He was knighted in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to medicine.

References for this biography

1. 1.Who we are – Alcohol Health Alliance — Confirms Gilmore's role as founder and Chair of the AHA since 2007, and his position as RCP special advisor on alcohol and professor of hepatology
2. 2.Professor Sir Ian Gilmore – Alcohol Health Alliance (Open Access Government) — Confirms his role as Chair of the AHA, former RCP President (2006–2010), and Director of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research
3. 3.TV Presenter helps launch new research centre to tackle alcohol misuse – University of Liverpool — Confirms launch of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research in January 2019 with Gilmore as its director, and his role as a liver specialist at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals
4. 4.PHE alcohol adviser resigns over industry partnership – Drink and Drugs News — Confirms his 2018 resignation as co-chair of PHE's alcohol leadership board over PHE's partnership with Drinkaware, citing conflict of interest
5. 5.Contact – Alcohol Health Alliance — Confirms AHA registered address (c/o Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, London NW1 4LE) and press email (media@ahauk.org)
6. 6.BMA Retired Members Conference 2024 – BMA — Confirms Gilmore's role as BMA President (referenced as speaker at 2024 conference in that capacity)
7. 7.Health experts criticise NHS Plan for failing to tackle alcohol harm – Alcohol Health Alliance — Recent (2025) press statement confirming his continuing role as Chair of the AHA and liver specialist, and his public arguments on alcohol harm prevention
8. 8.Sir Ian Gilmore – Lisbon Addictions 2019 — Confirms his knighthood, honorary consultant role at Royal Liverpool University Hospital, honorary chair at University of Liverpool, and his founding and chairing of the AHA

Notable achievements

• Founded the Alcohol Health Alliance UK in 2007 while President of the Royal College of Physicians, building it into a coalition of more than 60 organisations. Source ↗
• Launched the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research at the University of Liverpool in January 2019, serving as its inaugural Director. Source ↗
• Resigned as co-chair of Public Health England's alcohol leadership board in 2018, publicly opposing PHE's partnership with industry-funded Drinkaware on conflict-of-interest grounds. Source ↗
• Chaired the Royal College of Physicians working party in 2001 that produced the influential report 'Alcohol – can the NHS afford it? A blueprint for a coherent alcohol strategy'. Source ↗
• Knighted in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of his contribution to medicine. Source ↗

What Prof Sir Ian Gilmore has said

• “With millions of people affected by preventable diseases caused by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food, we need stronger action from the government to match the rhetoric – including minimum unit pricing to prevent strong alcohol being sold cheaply, a levy on the profits of the tobacco industry and the implementation of mandatory policies to improve food and drink.”

  Chair, Alcohol Health Alliance · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Get tough on tobacco and alcohol firms to improve public health | Letters ↗

Where Prof Sir Ian Gilmore has been quoted

1. Protect public health policies from lobbying firms | Lettertheguardian.com · 30 Sept 2026
2. Get tough on tobacco and alcohol firms to improve public health | Letterstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Leaders in Care Awards 2026 | Lifetime Achievement: Care Homes winner revealedHome Care Insight
• GP architect of neighbourhood health reforms to leave NHS EnglandPulse Today
• An important step forward in ending corridor care - Colin Poolman | Blog | RCN ScotlandRoyal College of Nursing

Contact & links

• Websitehttps://ahauk.org/published here ↗
• Staff pagehttps://ahauk.org/who-we-are/
• Press office emailmedia@ahauk.orgpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.