Antibiotics: Drug Resistance — Written Question

Question

Mr Andrew Snowden

Conservative — Fylde

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK Health Security Agency's news story entitled Nearly 400 antibiotic-resistant infections each week in 2024, published on 13 November 2025, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the higher rates of antibiotic-resistant infections in more deprived communities.

Answer

Ashley Dalton

Actions taken to tackle higher rates of resistant infections in more deprived communities include a health inequalities outcome within the latest United Kingdom antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029/confronting-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029

Commitments under this outcome aim to improve data reporting on health inequalities in AMR and antibiotic use, publish a toolkit of resources that supports organisations to develop interventions, and implement and evaluate interventions to address inequalities in AMR.

NHS England encourages regions and integrated care boards to focus on building trust to increase the uptake of vaccinations. They work with community and faith leaders particularly in areas of high deprivation, using a make every contact count approach.