Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029, published on 8 May, how the importance placed on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in that paper will be implemented; and whether there will be increased finance for WASH.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Proactive infection prevention and control, in terms of patient safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the public health system, is a core element of the national action plan.
Nationally, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works with partners to provide the evidence base and technical expertise to support best practice in infection prevention and control (IPC) in health and care and other settings, such as schools and prisons. A dedicated research facility at Porton Down also supports studies on the effectiveness of IPC procedures and the role of the built environment in AMR transmission.
Internationally, AMR activities are supported through a variety of global health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on AMR and Healthcare Associated Infections, which is housed by UKHSA, also provides support for training on AMR diagnostics and surveillance. School aged children can also learn about microbes, IPC, antibiotics and vaccination from free resources via the e-Bug programme.
The Government continues to finance WASH and global WASH leadership. levels of finance in 2025 and beyond will be confirmed by a Government-wide spending review.
Correspondence Jun. 04 2024
Inquiry: Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in ScotlandFound: Reality:Reported versus reality7 6Salmon farmers have increased their use of antibiotics, contrary
Report Jan. 03 2024
Committee: Science, Innovation and Technology CommitteeFound: New antibiotics have often proved difficult and expensive to develop.
Mar. 01 2024
Source Page: The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages report: government responseFound: the potential to be used as an antimicrobial, either in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, antibiotics
Mentions:
1: Wendy Chamberlain (LDEM - North East Fife) All the evidence suggests that the best treatment is early diagnosis and a two-week course of antibiotics - Speech Link
2: Maria Caulfield (CON - Lewes) Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) is correct that very often a course of antibiotics - Speech Link
May. 17 2024
Source Page: New Veterinary Medicines Regulations now in forceFound: The new Regulations include measures that help us build on our success in reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on banning the use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues.
The Government takes a ‘One Health’ approach to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as set out in the UK National Action Plan on AMR. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meet regularly to consider appropriate actions to address AMR across the human and animal health sectors. This has included discussion on the use of antibiotics to prevent disease in farm animals.
Defra is a co-signatory with DHSC of the UK's AMR five-year National Action Plan (2019-2024) and the UK's 20-year Vision to Contain and Control AMR by 2040. Defra leads on the animal, plant and environment elements of the National Action Plan. A key ambition of these strategies is the appropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals so that they continue to be an effective tool to treat infections when needed. The Government is committed to reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals while safeguarding animal welfare. It has been our position for many years that we do not support the routine or predictable use of antibiotics, including where antibiotics are used to compensate for inadequate farming practices.
To date in the UK, collaborative working between the Government, the veterinary profession and the agriculture sectors to focus on these issues has resulted in our national sales of veterinary antibiotics reducing by 55% since 2014, and in 2021 we recorded the lowest antibiotic use to date. The UK is one of the lowest users of veterinary antibiotics across Europe, with only seven other European countries having sold fewer antibiotics in 2021 (Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia). Changes to the law on veterinary medicines represent one tool which can be used to help effect reductions in antibiotic prescribing in animals. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 are currently under review, and the feedback from the recently closed consultation public consultation will be analysed and considered.
Correspondence Apr. 17 2024
Committee: Health and Social Care Committee (Department: Department of Health and Social Care)Found: These includ ed painkillers and antibiotics that are critical for treating infections caused by battlefield
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much chicken treated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics was imported in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold this data. All countries eligible to export poultry meat to the UK must have an approved plan for the control of residues of veterinary medicines in foodstuffs. This control plan will include testing for antibiotics, and trading partners must be able to demonstrate that their plan and maximum permitted residue levels are equivalent to our own domestic standards.
Nov. 24 2023
Source Page: APHA and VMD buildings ‘go blue’ for World AMR Awareness WeekFound: occurs when bacteria, and other microorganisms, develop a resistance to antimicrobial drugs, such as antibiotics