Working together against AMR

In October, Mölnlycke hosted the second webinar of its educational series "Prevent, Protect, Provide: Best-practice strategies against AMR", which brought together clinical and patient voices to explore how peri-operative practice can meaningfully reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while improving patient outcomes and delivering efficiencies in clinical settings. While the UK ranks highly in international tables in meeting the challenge of AMR, the latest available data shows that there estimated 7,600 deaths directly from infections resistant to antibiotics.¹

The webinar, attended by almost 100 infection professionals from across the NHS, was led by Professor Christopher Gee, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Associate Medical Director at NHS Golden Jubilee, who set out a prevention-first approach that puts surgical site infection (SSI) reduction at the heart of stewardship. His presentation was rooted in pragmatism: fewer infections mean fewer antibiotics, fewer complications and less time in hospital. He emphasised that the evidence exists, guidelines are available, and the gains are within reach if services organise themselves to deliver reliably.

The session also featured an interview with Dionne McFarlane, whose lived experience of a resistant urinary tract infection illustrated how AMR interacts with pathway design, communication and access to specialist expertise. Together, their perspectives set out a clear agenda: plan for prevention, standardise what works, support patients to do their part, and track results in a way that prompts continuous improvement.