Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to simplify the process for clinicians seeking approval to use phage therapy.

In March 2024, the Government’s response to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s report on bacteriophages highlighted the potential role of phage therapy as one of a range of tools to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

To support clinical use, the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency plans to publish non-mandatory guidance on the quality, safety, and efficacy data required to license phage products for both proactive and reactive National Health Service use to treat common infections, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will assess new phage-based treatments alongside other medicines.