The UK 2024 – 2029 National Action Plan on AMR was released on 8th May 2024 — so what progress has been made in a year?
While progress has been made in some areas, namely reduced antibiotic usage in agriculture and the launch of the ‘Netflix-style’ antibiotics subscription model, efforts to utilise diagnostics have been lacking.
Four years still remain to judge the efficacy of the plan, however, without any bold announcements, optimism is currently low. This is despite the Action Plan, in its review of the previous 2019 – 2024 Action Plan, calling out diagnostics as an area of opportunity for “big policy wins to address AMR.” We agree — so where are they?
We expressed concerns when the plan was initially announced, claiming it lacked key indicators and clear accountability mechanisms, making effective implementation difficult. Twelve months of inaction have perhaps confirmed our worst fears. We therefore reiterate our call for an implementation plan to provide KPIs to ensure progress can be suitably measured.
Nearly a decade on from the 2016 O’Neill Review, despite the availability of transformative diagnostic tests and interventions of health policy tsar Lord Darzi, ourselves and others, diagnostic testing prior to an antibiotic prescription is not a prerequisite. With the abolition of NHS England and the upcoming 10-year Health Plan, an opportunity to embrace these innovations and implement common sense policies towards diagnostics has presented itself.
Developing better tests will always be a priority for our industry, however, existing tests are rapid, accurate and affordable. Waiting for fabled new tests, as the plan seems to indicate, should not be an impediment to investing in preeminent diagnostic products today.
BIVDA’s recent consensus statement offers a clear path on the role of community diagnostics in tackling AMR. With questions being asked in the Lords and the Commons and meetings with senior figures in government, BIVDA has been tirelessly driving forward this agenda.
We will continue to remain at the forefront of AMR advocacy and, despite the imperfections of the last year’s AMR Action Plan, will push for the big diagnostic ‘policy wins’ it mentions.
We should be proud of the UK’s status as a genuine world leader in tackling AMR, but for now, the diagnostics component is a testy issue. It is now imperative that attention is focused on embedding diagnostics into the NHS to slow the rise of AMR.
