Has the new 10 Year Health Plan overlooked a simple pill that could reduce our alcohol consumption?

July 22, 2025 - PRLog -- 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 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, Yet it 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 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.

'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: https://www.sinclairmethoduk.com/