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Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Antimicrobial resistance: addressing the risks

Status: Closed Opened: 15 Jan 2025 Closed: 21 Aug 2025 18 recommendations 28 conclusions 1 report

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections cause an estimated 1.3m deaths globally each year, and rising, and lead to the failure of antibiotics for treating human illness. 67,000 people experienced an AMR infection in 2023. 2,200 of those people died. The UN has predicted that by 2050, AMR will cause 10m or more deaths, comparable to cancer as …

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance: addressing the risks HC 646 13 Jun 2025 46 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
12 Conclusion 30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance:… Acknowledged

Most domestic targets in 2019-24 AMR National Action Plan remained unachieved

As part of its 2019–24 National Action Plan for AMR, the third UK plan of its kind, the government set five domestic targets. These related to levels of drug-resistant and Gram-negative bloodstream infections (named after a bacteria-testing method and are more likely to be resistant to antimicrobials), use of antimicrobials …

Government response. The government agrees with the observation and details its processes for closely monitoring and annually reviewing NAP human health targets, using data and expert advice to guide future action and potential revisions.
HM Treasury
14 Conclusion 30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance:… Acknowledged

Increasing threat from highly resistant Gram-negative infections with limited treatment options

Dr Partridge told us that there is also an increasing threat in the UK from strains of pathogens which cause Gram-negative infections that are more likely to be resistant and more likely to result in the death of the patient. In particular, there has been an increase in Gram-negative pathogens …

Government response. The government agrees with the observation, stating it monitors progress against targets biannually and reviews them annually, with UKHSA modelling trends and seeking expert advice on revisions, but acknowledges that preventing an increase in these infections is ambitious.
HM Treasury
16 Conclusion 30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance:… Acknowledged

Government's 2019-24 AMR action plan targets largely unmet with slow progress.

The government achieved only one of the five quantitative domestic targets it set as part of the 2019–24 NAP–reducing the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.41 The 2019–24 NAP also set 128 commitments for DHSC and Defra which related to the UK or England. However, specific deadlines were not set …

Government response. The government agrees with the observation of past progress, and states it will monitor progress against new NAP targets biannually, conduct annual reviews, and use surveillance trends and modelling to inform future target ambition, while acknowledging the challenge of preventing …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
27 Mar 2025 Abigail Seager · Defra, Dr David Partridge · Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Professor Sir Chris Whitty · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Sir Stephen Powis · NHS England, Professor Susan Hopkins · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), The Lord O'Neill of Gatley View ↗