Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) systems leadership, and (2) antimicrobial stewardship programmes, in Integrated Care Systems, to support management of antimicrobial resistance in the NHS.

Integrated care systems (ICSs) are asked to focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of improving health outcomes in their communities. Specialist leads for infection prevention and control, diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship have been introduced in NHS England regional teams to support ICSs in the management of AMR.

ICSs will be required to have plans in place to reduce antibiotic use in primary and secondary care. This will include early identification and treatment of bacterial infections and ensuring that antibiotics are only used for as long as clinically necessary. The NHS System Oversight Framework, which set expectations about how ICSs should work together to improve the quality of care, includes metrics to monitor appropriate prescribing in primary care.