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Antimicrobials are a category of therapeutic substances, such as antibiotics, which are used to treat infections. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when the pathogens which cause infections develop resistance to those antimicrobial treatments. While AMR is a natural process, it has accelerated partly due to human misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. Antimicrobial resistance is also driven by use of antimicrobials in animals and plants, and the subsequent transmission of resistant pathogens through food and the environment. AMR poses a significant public health threat to the UK. If AMR worsens further, it will become more difficult to treat simple infections, leading to more illness and death. Prior to antibiotics, infection was the most common cause of death and life expectancy was on average 20 years lower. AMR also has a significant economic impact. Treating AMR infections already costs the NHS in England an estimated £180 million each year. The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are responsible for managing the threat of AMR in England.