Our visit to Parliament – and why it matters for liver patients

28 May 2025

Last week, Dr Vishal Patel, a clinician scientist at The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, and Dr Merianne Mohamad, a postdoctoral scientist in his research group, joined a high-level roundtable at UK Parliament to help tackle one of the NHS’s most urgent and complex challenges: antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR happens when infections become resistant to antibiotics – and it’s one of the greatest threats to global health. Unless action is taken, it's estimated that drug-resistant infections could kill 10 million people a year by 2050.

At the heart of the discussion is a powerful but often overlooked tool: diagnostics. These are the tests that help doctors figure out whether an illness is caused by bacteria or a virus, and whether antibiotics are needed at all.

Too often, especially in emergency settings like A&E or during serious conditions like liver failure or sepsis, clinicians are forced to make rapid decisions without the right tools. And that leads to overuse of antibiotics – making them more resistant, putting patients at risk, and costing the NHS millions.

Dr Patel shared insight from his clinical work and research to help shape a new national framework for prioritising the development and rollout of better, faster diagnostic tests – ones that could save lives and protect antibiotics for future generations.

It’s exactly the kind of policy leadership that shows the strength of our team and the real-world relevance of our research. And it’s why we’re proud to support scientists like Dr Patel and Dr Mohamad in making sure liver patients get the right treatment, at the right time.

Will you help protect liver patients and save lives across the NHS? Your gift could help Dr Patel's team develop faster, smarter ways of diagnosing infections.

Donate now

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