The Government’s new five-year National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance has been welcomed by NOAH. It is accompanied by a ‘UK AMR 20-year vision’.

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: “These joint publications between DEFRA and the Department of Health and Social Care reinforce a spirit of collaboration between the professions that is allowing real progress to be made and will enable greater co-operation in the future.

“Echoing this, collaboration within our own sector is the way forward. We will continue to work towards the targets set across the livestock sectors through our involvement with RUMA, the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance. The farming sector’s commitment to responsible use means sales of antibiotics for livestock have been reduced by 40% over the past five years and we will continue our efforts to achieve the plan’s future targets.”

Ms Howard added: “The ambitions spelt out in this plan are taken very seriously by NOAH. We are pleased that our Animal Medicines Best Practice (AMBP) Programme has been recognised within the plan, and we look forward to even more vets and farmers making use of this resource to support best practice antibiotic use on farms.”

The plan also sets out ambitions in relation to the development of new vaccines and other alternatives to antibiotics.

She added: “NOAH welcomes opportunities to explore options for a co-ordinated research programme to develop novel and improved vaccines, strategies and diagnostics for livestock, fish, companion animals and horses, based on identified market gaps. But UK Government must deliver a regulatory environment to encourage innovation, investment, productivity and the development of new veterinary medicines, including vaccines, to help drive innovation and encourage a thriving UK animal health sector.”