Terms of reference

In response to the threat of AMR, the UK Government have published several five-year strategies taking a fully integrated, cross sectoral approach. The UK 20-year vision was published in 2019 to further ambitions and to assist in forming strategies beyond 2019. The 2019 – 2024 Five-Year National Action Plan set out challenging ambitions and actions, importantly, adopting a One-Health approach across humans, animals, and the environment. A new approach will build on these ambitions as well as set out new actions for the next five years. Wales, alongside the other UK countries, has been working in partnership on the development of the UK Five Year National Action Plan. Our approach in Wales is to play to our strengths and to add as much value as possible to the UK work, without duplicating efforts. 

The Wales AMR Animal Health Group is set up to provide advice to the Welsh Government in its delivery of the UK National Action Plan and our approach in Wales. The advice may consider practical, evidence-based approaches to AMR, for example, taking into account the unique landscape of Wales. The Welsh Government has a role to play in addressing AMR, working in partnership with colleagues across the Welsh Government and wider by working with the other GB/UK administrations, stakeholders, veterinarians, delivery agencies and experts within the field. 

The scope of this group covers the provision of advice and guidance to the Welsh Government. The group will engage, consult, and take views from a wide range of sources in order to provide independent, expert advice. 

For example, this includes, but is not limited to:

• delivery approaches, partnership working, including vets, industry representatives, academia etc
• communications with industry/general public

The AMR approach in Wales will consider AMR in farmed and companion animals; taking into account the priorities set by the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group.

The overarching objectives of the Wales AMR Animal Health Group are:

• to advise on Welsh Government’s delivery of the approach to AMR in Wales
• to report to the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group and also report to the Wales AMR Oversight Delivery Group
• to provide advice and guidance, which officials may submit to Ministers for consideration, through a joined-up approach, as and when required
• to advise on the necessary surveillance and monitoring requirements for measurement of antibiotic usage
• to advise the Welsh Government on how it can ensure that animal (veterinary) aspects of AMR control in Wales (and the rest of the UK where appropriate) are managed in a co-ordinated and synergistic way with the human aspects of AMR control, adopting a true ‘One Health’ approach
• for all three sectors (human, animal and environmental) to learn as much as possible from each other to identify knowledge gaps and advise how those can be addressed.
• to provide advice to the Welsh Government on AMR policy and delivery in Wales so that it is viewed as an international exemplar.
• to contribute to Wales’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Act goals, such as a healthier, globally responsible, prosperous, and resilient Wales.

The group will be a mixture of government and private sector stakeholder representatives. Government representatives will be Public Health Wales, Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Private sector stakeholders will include vets and farmers.

Due to the specialist remit individuals will be invited to become a group member. Individuals will be expected to attend in their own right, and not as a representative of any organisation or group that they may be involved with. 

Group members will not be remunerated for attendance at meetings but, will be able to claim appropriate travel and substance costs in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines.

The Welsh Government’s Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer will provide secretariat support. 

Appropriate agenda items will be raised prior to the meeting. The chair will agree the final agenda, which will be shared in advance of meetings by the secretariat. Actions identified by the group will be taken forward and sub-groups may be established to support this work.

The group does not have the autonomy to make decisions on behalf of the Welsh Government. This includes but is not limited to decisions such as how funding will be allocated, sign off service level agreements with delivery bodies, approve contingency plans or approve submissions.

The group will hold meetings four times a year, three virtual and one face to face, plus ad hoc meetings as and when required. 

Ordinarily the group will provide regular, (quarterly) updates of activities and outcomes. The secretariat may then relay these updates to the Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group and the Wales AMR Oversight Delivery Group and to the UK Government for as far as appropriate, with detail on activities, goals attained, future plans and challenges. 

The group may also report/make requests to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs as and when necessary or appropriate. 

The group was established in 2024 for a five-year period, until 2029, in line with a 5-year UK National Action Plan for AMR covering this period.

No performance assessments will be carried out due to the nature of the group. Membership of the group will automatically end in line with the duration of the UK National Action Plan for AMR.