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Specialist Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Unit

Scientific Lead: Dr Mandy Wootton (Mandy.Wootton@wales.nhs.uk )

Clinical Lead: Dr Lim Jones (Lim.jones@wales.nhs.uk)

General: Advisory and Scientific

Advice on performance and interpretation of susceptibility testing

Information on novel antimicrobials regarding susceptibility testing & interpretation

Advice on management of resistant infections

Advice on quality control for susceptibility testing

Advice on EUCAST & BSAC methodology & guidelines

Reference and Diagnostic Core Services

Confirmatory susceptibility testing

Confirmation of unusual resistances

Confirmation of specific resistance/resistance mechanism

Additional Testing

  • Genotypic confirmation of ß-lactamase
  • Phenotypic confirmation of ß-lactamase
  • Agar/broth dilution for MIC confirmation
  • Combination (Synergy) testing of antimicrobials

Mandy Wooton holds the secretary post of the BSAC Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) Standing Committee and is BSAC funded to provide the following services:

  • Organise and run 2 BSAC Workshops each year
  • Organise and run 2 BSAC Userday conferences each year
  • Provide expert advice regarding Susceptibility testing to all UK laboratories
  • Update BSAC AST website
  • Steer the BSAC method development for EUCAST

National Antimicrobial Evaluation Service

SACU provides expert susceptibility testing of novel antimicrobial compounds for Welsh academics. The platform was awarded the platform in 2015 by Welsh Life Sciences Research Network and it is envisaged to expand the service to Welsh industry. In 2006, SACU provided the service to 3 institutions for 28 compounds

Acts as a reference laboratory for NEQAS, and a development laboratory for BSAC and EUCAST.