The State of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Coventry and Warwickshire Region: An Overview of Stewardship in Acute Trusts

The State of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Coventry and Warwickshire Region: An Overview of Stewardship in Acute Trusts

Warwick Medical School

Oliver Murray, Ahina Ip and Katie Thornton

2024

Antimicrobials are a crucial component of modern healthcare and are used in managing a range of ailments from infections to surgical procedures. However, the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens these practices, and without effective monitoring and efforts to curb this proliferation we face the risk of a serious public health crisis. This report seeks to illuminate the current state of AMR and stewardship within the Coventry and Warwickshire area, with a particular focus on the three acute Trusts (University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), South Warwickshire Foundation Trust (SWFT), and George Eliot Hospital (GEH)) associated with Warwick Medical School. Data was extracted from the 'Fingertips' public health database and a subset of indicators were examined to present an overview of the threat of AMR and compare outcomes against goals laid out in the governments 2019-2024 National Plan to tackle AMR. Our analysis suggests increasing rates of E.coli specimens resistant to key antimicrobials in the region compared to the national average for England. An exploration of key antibiotic prescribing practice targets indicated that Coventry and Warwickshire (CaW) Trusts were below national average performance, suggesting that a review of such prescribing practices may help address AMR trends in the region. The variance in these findings reflects the complexity of the challenge in fighting antimicrobial resistance and the persistent hurdles healthcare systems encounter in addressing threats of this magnitude, particularly in settings with limited resources and prioritisation of events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Further efforts, monitoring, and investment will be needed in the coming years to address the alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance in the face of current efforts to curb its proliferation.

Antimicrobial, Antibiotics, Medicine, Stewardship, Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial Resistance