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A “UK-first” rapid genetic sequencing method could help to improve antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals by diagnosing bacterial infections faster and more accurately, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said.
In an announcement published on 6 March 2025, the MHRA said that study results, published in Frontiers in Cell and Infection Microbiology, show that the new approach can “reliably detect which bacteria are causing an infection and which antibiotics will work best to treat it”.
Researchers analysed more than 2,000 patient samples from seven London hospitals using the method, which was developed by the MHRA in collaboration with Barts Health NHS Trust.
The MHRA said the method delivers results within two days, “significantly faster than traditional methods which can take approximately seven days and, in some difficult cases, up to eight weeks”.
“This technology is now being piloted to investigate and prevent hospital outbreaks caused by antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ — a growing global threat,” it said, adding that the goal is to use rapid DNA sequencing routinely as part of hospital diagnostics across the NHS.
Health minister Ashley Dalton said: “Central to the success of this new service run by Barts Health [NHS Trust] is the MHRA’s work in developing reference materials — carefully controlled samples, recognised by the World Health Organization — that ensures patients receive consistent, trustworthy diagnoses.
“The MHRA is now working to standardise the technology, paving the way for wider NHS adoption. This could mean more hospitals can benefit from rapid, accurate bacterial infection diagnostics and prevent unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use.”
Ian Butler, lead clinical scientist in medical microbiology at Barts Health NHS Trust and an author of the study, said: “This is the first comprehensive clinical validation study of its kind in the UK — and one of the first globally — to test DNA sequencing with this new technology for diagnosing a wide range of infections.
“By analysing bacterial genetic material directly, we can detect infections more accurately, even complex infections, and much faster than traditional methods. This means we can precisely diagnose the infection and identify the right treatment sooner — especially for critically ill patients.”
Chrysi Sergaki, head of microbiome at the MHRA, said the study “demonstrated that this new technology is already making a real difference to patients’ lives”.
Through its AMR national action plan for 2019–2024, published in January 2019, the government aimed to reduce human drug-resistant infections by 10% between 2018 and 2025.
However, a report by the National Audit Office, published in February 2025, said that “by 2023, infections in England had risen to 13% above the 2018 baseline”.
