The Government’s new 10 Year Health Plan, ‘Fit For the Future’, has been welcomed by a leading health expert, who praises its switch of emphasis from traditional NHS treatments to preventative measures.
Dr Seth Rankin, MBChB MRCGP, CEO of Sinclair Method UK, says: ‘Innovative measures such as the joint investment of £600m in a new Health Data Research Service (HDRS) in partnership with the Wellcome Trust show the beginning of a new approach to healthcare in the UK. However, there are some proven treatments the plan has overlooked which could help stop health problems developing before symptoms even appear.
‘One of these key treatments encourages people to reduce their consumption of alcohol to recommended levels. I’m sure that during the recent heatwave many of us drank rather more than we intended. Yet that can be the edge of a slippery slope. Over-consumption of alcohol can lead to liver and heart problems, strokes, cancer and other conditions. Recent research from The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) has revealed alcohol harm costs England £27.4bn a year, and the NHS £4.9bn. Yet there are simple, proven treatments that can help prevent alcohol misuse and aid us all in reducing our drinking to a moderate level.
‘The new report has some excellent plans for encouraging more moderate drinking, including strengthening guidelines for alcohol labelling and re-examining the level at which drinks can be declared “alcohol free”. Yet the new plan does not include a method of reducing alcohol consumption using a pill with an 80% success rate in curbing problem drinking. This decades-old treatment method – known as The Sinclair Method (TSM) – continues to fly under the radar, yet it could help slash £4.9bn from the NHS budget. The new plan can be seen as a missed opportunity to introduce such treatments.
‘The Sinclair Method combines a well-established medication, naltrexone (an opioid-blocking medication), with guided coaching. Research suggests it can help around four out of five people with alcohol dependence dramatically reduce their drinking or quit entirely.
‘Patients simply take an oral dose of naltrexone one hour before they drink alcohol. Naltrexone is already commonly prescribed by the NHS for people who have already stopped drinking to prevent relapse, so is a safe and evidence-based drug. The key to TSM is timing: by taking naltrexone before drinking, it blunts the pleasurable effects of alcohol and over time effectively “re-wires” the brain’s reward system.
‘It’s a treatment that’s been around for decades. Back in the 1990s the pioneering researcher Dr. David Sinclair hypothesized that if the endorphin “buzz” of alcohol could be pharmacologically blocked each time someone had an alcoholic drink, the brain would “unlearn” the addictive behaviour through a process known as “extinction”. His clinical study in 2001 showed remarkable results: 78% of participants who consistently took naltrexone before drinking experienced a significant reduction in craving and achieved long-term control over their alcohol use. In practical terms, many previously dependent drinkers were able to enjoy one or two drinks and stop – or even lose interest in alcohol altogether.
‘So why isn’t this treatment a part of the preventative measures discussed in the report? First, awareness is low – even many front-line NHS practitioners and clinics simply aren’t familiar with the Sinclair Method, since it’s not yet embedded in standard training or guidelines. Second, the traditional treatment culture has favoured total abstinence; until recently, suggesting a patient continue drinking (even with safeguards) was almost taboo. That conservative mindset is beginning to shift as evidence mounts that pharmacological approaches can work. However it’s true that treatments based on pill power, not will power, are not universally welcomed by health professionals. The idea of an Ozempic for drinkers is rather frowned on by some practitioners. Yet things are changing. The new weight management medication ‘Tirzepatide’ (brand name Mounjaro) is shortly being made available to NHS patients to support weight loss. Naltrexone would offer very similar treatment methods to patents wanting to reduce their alcohol intake.
‘It’s regrettable that the new plan, for all its bold ambitions, contains no mention of the Sinclair Method or any new pharmacological interventions for alcohol use. If rolled out broadly, imagine the impact? Fewer alcohol-related hospital admissions, fewer liver transplants, reduced A&E attendances. We could save lives and money.
‘The Sinclair Method UK treatment includes one-to-one guidance with a private GP. This may include consultation by phone or video call and follow up meetings for the first three months, plus a prescription for the relevant tablets.
‘Ideally, Sinclair Method’s treatment will be available on the NHS in its own right by the end of the decade. For now it is easily available privately. For full details of The Sinclair Method UK’s treatments: see:
