Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance through hospital wastewater; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of on-site treatment at healthcare facilities to remove pharmaceutical and microbial contaminants before they enter the municipal sewerage system.

The 2024 to 2029 United Kingdom antimicrobial resistance (AMR) National Action Plan (NAP) encompasses a range of One Health activities to target the drivers of AMR. This includes understanding and reducing the spread of AMR through wastewater and built environments.

As set out in the NAP, the UK Health Security Agency’s modular ward will generate evidence on how the hospital environment contributes to the spread of AMR infection, and how wards should be designed, refurbished, and operated to enhance infection, prevention, and control. A particular focus of the modular ward is understanding how risks associated with water and wastewater can be mitigated.

Evidence will be used to inform the New Hospital Programme, which aims to reduce AMR through innovative approaches to design and care models for the next generation of National Health Service hospitals.