Background to the report

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is common around the world, driven in part by misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. This is a major public health concern because it means antibiotics and other antimicrobials may be ineffective, both today and increasingly in the future.

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For some years, the World Health Organization and other international bodies have urged countries to take wide-ranging measures to reduce the spread of AMR. In the UK, such action involves multiple public bodies including the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC), the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), where AMR policy is led by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), and the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These and other public bodies have been coordinating their activities using five-year national action plans.

We are investigating the government’s response to AMR because it is a serious public health threat, and because the UK’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic showed the country was not as resilient to such threats as it expected to be.

Scope of the report

This report sets out information on the risk posed by AMR and the UK government’s response. It focuses on the response in England, where the UK government has responsibility for the NHS and key aspects of animal health and environmental policy.

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Publication details

Press release

View press release (26 Feb 2025)

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