Hospital bug battle continues with publication of Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy

Government publishes five-year plan to address \'catastrophic threat\' to public health

The ongoing fight against healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) continues with calls for national and international action on treatment, education and monitoring of bacteria.

Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry, said antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was a world health problem and has laid out plans to address the issue as part of a five-year government strategy.

Antibiotics are used by doctors to treat and prevent infections, but bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotic treatments, threatening the ability to carry out routine operations or transplants in the future.

The Chief Medical Officer’s stark warning showed that bacteria are adapting fast and if we don’t take action, we could face serious problems in years to come

In March, the NHS’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, set out the risks involved, saying that antimicrobial resistance poses a ‘catastrophic threat’ if action is not taken.

All the recommendations on antimicrobial resistance made in her annual report have been accepted and acted on, including ongoing work to add antimicrobial resistance to the Government’s long-term risk register, the National Security Risk Assessment.

Responding to the call for more action, Soubry said: “The Chief Medical Officer’s stark warning showed that bacteria are adapting fast and if we don’t take action, we could face serious problems in years to come.

“That’s why this strong, cross-government strategy sets out real actions to stay one step ahead and fight antimicrobial resistance both nationally and internationally.

“But this is really a problem that society has to take on together, through better education, treatment and monitoring of bacteria. Whether you’re a patient, a doctor or a vet, we all have a role to play in prescribing and using antibiotics responsibly.

The five-year antimicrobial resistance strategy outlines that steps are being taken to

• Improve how we prevent and manage infections in people and in animals including through better hygiene and monitoring of bacteria in medical and community settings and through better farming practices
• Improve education and training around the prescribing of antibiotics to reduce inappropriate usage and make sure patients get the right antibiotics, at the right time and for the right duration
• Collect better data on the resistance of bugs so they can be tracked more effectively, find the most resistant bacteria and step in earlier where there is resistance to antibiotics
• Provide funding of up to £4m to set up a new National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit which will focus on AMR and HCAIs. In recognition of the importance of quick action, the NIHR is also running a themed research call to encourage AMR research across a range of areas
• Explore ways to encourage the development of new antibiotics, rapid diagnostics and other treatments by working with industry and across government

The strategy calls upon a wide range of health and Government organisations to engage with and contribute to this work. It also highlights the importance of working with the farming, food, retail and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as the academic community and professional bodies

Dame Sally said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem and we all need to take responsibility. I have already been speaking with the World Health Organization, the G8 and with countries across the world to make sure we’re all working together and I am pleased to see that steps are being taken in the UK to help us take the fight to resistant bacteria.

“The strategy calls upon a wide range of health and Government organisations to engage with and contribute to this work. It also highlights the importance of working with the farming, food, retail and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as the academic community and professional bodies.”

Companies

• Department of Health