Public health experts split over deal with industry funded charity

The decision by a leading physician to quit his role as an adviser to Public Health England (PHE) was front page news last week. Ian Gilmore, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist, objected to a partnership that the agency had launched with the industry funded alcohol education charity Drinkaware, and resigned as co-chair of PHE’s alcohol leadership board the day after the campaign launched.1

But Gilmore’s objections to the campaign were not news to Duncan Selbie, PHE’s chief executive. In fact, the Alcohol Health Alliance, which Gilmore chairs, wrote to Selbie on 3 August 2018 saying that the partnership risked watering down public messages. “This would be very damaging to public health and to the reputation of Public Health England as an independent and trusted source of public health evidence and advice to the …