Laureation address: Professor Sir Ian Gilmore MD (CANTAB) FRCP

Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine
Laureation by Professor David Crossman FRSE, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine

Friday 17 June 2022

Chancellor, it is my privilege to present for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, honoris causa, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore.

Ian’s problem is alcohol! You know, where to get it, how much it will cost.

Alcohol enjoyed by many, including Ian, has a huge negative impact on individuals and society. Acutely, it is associated with injury and sometimes death; chronically, it causes social destruction and domestic harm, liver failure and cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and increased risk of many other cancers. It affects the unborn foetus amongst the many others secondarily affected by those who drink inappropriately.

Ian, as a practising gastroenterologist and hepatologist, saw this on a daily basis and used his position as the President of the Royal College of Physicians to increase awareness of these issues and to change policy. Policy response to established public health science is tough and takes a long time – look at smoking. The smoking ban took in the region of 40 years from established fact to policy. Ian has undertaken this long route for alcohol misuse, and it is greatly to his credit.

In 2007 Ian established the Alcohol Health Alliance and continues to Chair this. He has established the Centre for Alcohol Research at the University of Liverpool. Though he admits to never having held an academic post and has enjoyed tinkering with research as he puts it, but it seems rather more than that.

He admits that no country has got its policy for alcohol right. Prohibition in the USA did not work and is not realistic. He emphasises that the French policy of a total ban on broadcast and sports sponsorship is one that seems sensible. In Sweden he notes that all outlets of sale are under strict government control and in both countries these measures seem to have a beneficial effect. He feels that the Scottish Government policy, different from England, of minimum unit pricing and the restrictions on time of sale may have benefit but some of these have been lost following the Covid pandemic. What he is keen to emphasise is that we must change the whole dialogue on alcohol, deflate the “heroic” view of drinking and move society to a better place. This is embodied in his approaches to stakeholders through the Alcohol Health Alliance.  

Sir Ian is the embodiment of a medical practitioner who wants to make a difference. He will have done that on a daily basis through his practice (which he continued with whilst being President of the Royal College of Physicians), but beyond that he saw that he had opportunities to make changes in public health policy. Today, as we graduate Medical students again after a 50-year pause, his example is one that should guide all of our graduates but particularly our medical graduates. Use your qualifications, training, and privilege to make a difference. Sir Ian certainly has.

Chancellor, in recognition of his major contribution to medicine I invite you to confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine, honoris causa, on Professor Sir Ian Gilmore.