At Infection Prevention and Control 2020, held in February, NHS leaders warned that increased efforts are required to reduce healthcare-associated infections, if we are to conquer the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. Louise Frampton reports.
In February, NHS England’s Infection Prevention & Control 2020 conference focused on the threat posed to public health by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), urging delegates to consider the impact they could have with the slogan ‘Antimicrobial resistance and my role is?’ The conference also included topical discussion around the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), with a late addition to the programme being the inclusion of a session on the challenges of dealing with a coronavirus outbreak.
Healthcare leaders have described AMR as a “catastrophic threat” in the long term, and Professor Stephen Powis (National Medical Director, NHS England) highlighted the need for stakeholders from all areas of the entire patient pathway (ie hospitals, community health and the care sector) to coordinate a joined-up approach to tackling AMR.
The National Action Plan for 2019–24 sets out an ambition to reduce resistant infections by 10%, to halve healthcare-associated Gram-negative bloodstream infections, and reduce antibiotic use in humans by 15%. Infection prevention will be one of the most important weapons in our armoury in the war on AMR.
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