diff --git a/datagateway_api/common/database/helpers.py b/datagateway_api/common/database/helpers.py
index 55dbb40f..0d2474c7 100644
--- a/datagateway_api/common/database/helpers.py
+++ b/datagateway_api/common/database/helpers.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     INVESTIGATIONINSTRUMENT,
     SESSION,
 )
-from datagateway_api.common.database.session_manager import session_manager
+from datagateway_api.common.database.session_manager import db
 from datagateway_api.common.exceptions import (
     AuthenticationError,
     BadRequestError,
@@ -41,12 +41,11 @@ def requires_session_id(method):
     @wraps(method)
     def wrapper_requires_session(*args, **kwargs):
         log.info(" Authenticating consumer")
-        session = session_manager.get_icat_db_session()
+        session = db.session()
         query = session.query(SESSION).filter(SESSION.ID == args[1]).first()
         if query is not None:
             log.info(" Closing DB session")
             session.close()
-            session.close()
             log.info(" Consumer authenticated")
             return method(*args, **kwargs)
         else:
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ class Query(ABC):
 
     @abstractmethod
     def __init__(self, table):
-        self.session = session_manager.get_icat_db_session()
+        self.session = db.session
         self.table = table
         self.base_query = self.session.query(table)
 
@@ -86,7 +85,12 @@ def commit_changes(self):
         Commits all changes to the database and closes the session
         """
         log.info(" Committing changes to %s", self.table)
-        self.session.commit()
+        try:
+            self.session.commit()
+        except Exception as e:
+            log.error(f"Error whilst committing changes to {self.table}, rolling back")
+            self.session.rollback()
+            raise e
 
 
 class CountQuery(Query):
diff --git a/datagateway_api/common/database/session_manager.py b/datagateway_api/common/database/session_manager.py
index 5353fd26..386b601b 100644
--- a/datagateway_api/common/database/session_manager.py
+++ b/datagateway_api/common/database/session_manager.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy.orm import scoped_session, sessionmaker
 from sqlalchemy.pool import QueuePool
 
+from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
 from datagateway_api.common.constants import Constants
 
 engine = create_engine(
@@ -24,3 +25,4 @@ def get_icat_db_session(self):
 
 
 session_manager = SessionManager()
+db = SQLAlchemy()
diff --git a/datagateway_api/src/main.py b/datagateway_api/src/main.py
index 22eb13df..35debd92 100644
--- a/datagateway_api/src/main.py
+++ b/datagateway_api/src/main.py
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@
 from flask_cors import CORS
 from flask_restful import Api
 from flask_swagger_ui import get_swaggerui_blueprint
+from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
 
 from datagateway_api.common.backends import create_backend
 from datagateway_api.common.config import config
 from datagateway_api.common.logger_setup import setup_logger
+from datagateway_api.common.database.session_manager import db
+from datagateway_api.common.constants import Constants
 from datagateway_api.src.resources.entities.entity_endpoint import (
     get_count_endpoint,
     get_endpoint,
@@ -63,6 +66,8 @@ def create_app_infrastructure(flask_app):
     CORS(flask_app)
     flask_app.url_map.strict_slashes = False
     api = CustomErrorHandledApi(flask_app)
+    app.config["SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"] = Constants.DATABASE_URL
+    db.init_app(app)
 
     initialise_spec(spec)
 
@@ -168,10 +173,10 @@ def specs():
     resp.mimetype = "application/json"
     return resp
 
+api, spec = create_app_infrastructure(app)
+create_api_endpoints(app, api, spec)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    api, spec = create_app_infrastructure(app)
-    create_api_endpoints(app, api, spec)
     openapi_config(spec)
     app.run(
         host=config.get_host(), port=config.get_port(), debug=config.is_debug_mode(),
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 037b6641..0ec30e5d 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.5"
 
 [package.extras]
-dev = ["PyYAML (>=3.10)", "prance[osv] (>=0.11)", "marshmallow (>=2.19.2)", "pytest", "mock", "flake8 (==3.7.9)", "flake8-bugbear (==20.1.4)", "pre-commit (>=1.20,<3.0)", "tox"]
+tests = ["PyYAML (>=3.10)", "prance[osv] (>=0.11)", "marshmallow (>=2.19.2)", "pytest", "mock"]
 docs = ["marshmallow (>=2.19.2)", "pyyaml (==5.3)", "sphinx (==2.4.1)", "sphinx-issues (==1.2.0)", "sphinx-rtd-theme (==0.4.3)"]
 lint = ["flake8 (==3.7.9)", "flake8-bugbear (==20.1.4)", "pre-commit (>=1.20,<3.0)"]
-tests = ["PyYAML (>=3.10)", "prance[osv] (>=0.11)", "marshmallow (>=2.19.2)", "pytest", "mock"]
-validation = ["prance[osv] (>=0.11)"]
+dev = ["PyYAML (>=3.10)", "prance[osv] (>=0.11)", "marshmallow (>=2.19.2)", "pytest", "mock", "flake8 (==3.7.9)", "flake8-bugbear (==20.1.4)", "pre-commit (>=1.20,<3.0)", "tox"]
 yaml = ["PyYAML (>=3.10)"]
+validation = ["prance[osv] (>=0.11)"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "appdirs"
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*"
 
 [package.extras]
-dev = ["coverage[toml] (>=5.0.2)", "hypothesis", "pympler", "pytest (>=4.3.0)", "six", "zope.interface", "furo", "sphinx", "pre-commit"]
 docs = ["furo", "sphinx", "zope.interface"]
 tests = ["coverage[toml] (>=5.0.2)", "hypothesis", "pympler", "pytest (>=4.3.0)", "six", "zope.interface"]
 tests_no_zope = ["coverage[toml] (>=5.0.2)", "hypothesis", "pympler", "pytest (>=4.3.0)", "six"]
+dev = ["coverage[toml] (>=5.0.2)", "hypothesis", "pympler", "pytest (>=4.3.0)", "six", "zope.interface", "furo", "sphinx", "pre-commit"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "bandit"
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = "*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-colorama = {version = ">=0.3.9", markers = "platform_system == \"Windows\""}
-GitPython = ">=1.0.1"
+stevedore = ">=1.20.0"
 PyYAML = ">=3.13"
 six = ">=1.10.0"
-stevedore = ">=1.20.0"
+colorama = {version = ">=0.3.9", markers = "platform_system == \"Windows\""}
+GitPython = ">=1.0.1"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "black"
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.6"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-appdirs = "*"
-attrs = ">=18.1.0"
-click = ">=6.5"
-pathspec = ">=0.6,<1"
 regex = "*"
-toml = ">=0.9.4"
 typed-ast = ">=1.4.0"
+toml = ">=0.9.4"
+attrs = ">=18.1.0"
+pathspec = ">=0.6,<1"
+click = ">=6.5"
+appdirs = "*"
 
 [package.extras]
 d = ["aiohttp (>=3.3.2)", "aiohttp-cors"]
@@ -186,9 +186,9 @@ python-versions = "*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
 bandit = "*"
-flake8 = "*"
 flake8-polyfill = "*"
 pycodestyle = "*"
+flake8 = "*"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "flake8-black"
@@ -259,8 +259,8 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.5"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-flake8 = ">=3.0,<3.2.0 || >3.2.0,<4"
 importlib-metadata = {version = "*", markers = "python_version < \"3.8\""}
+flake8 = ">=3.0,<3.2.0 || >3.2.0,<4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "flake8-import-order"
@@ -301,15 +301,15 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-click = ">=5.1"
 itsdangerous = ">=0.24"
 Jinja2 = ">=2.10.1"
+click = ">=5.1"
 Werkzeug = ">=0.15"
 
 [package.extras]
-dev = ["pytest", "coverage", "tox", "sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinxcontrib-log-cabinet", "sphinx-issues"]
-docs = ["sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinxcontrib-log-cabinet", "sphinx-issues"]
 dotenv = ["python-dotenv"]
+docs = ["sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinxcontrib-log-cabinet", "sphinx-issues"]
+dev = ["pytest", "coverage", "tox", "sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinxcontrib-log-cabinet", "sphinx-issues"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "flask-cors"
@@ -332,14 +332,26 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = "*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-aniso8601 = ">=0.82"
 Flask = ">=0.8"
+aniso8601 = ">=0.82"
 pytz = "*"
 six = ">=1.3.0"
 
 [package.extras]
 docs = ["sphinx"]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "flask-sqlalchemy"
+version = "2.4.4"
+description = "Adds SQLAlchemy support to your Flask application."
+category = "main"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">= 2.7, != 3.0.*, != 3.1.*, != 3.2.*, != 3.3.*"
+
+[package.dependencies]
+Flask = ">=0.10"
+SQLAlchemy = ">=0.8.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "flask-swagger-ui"
 version = "3.25.0"
@@ -498,12 +510,12 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = "!=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*,!=3.4.*,>=2.7"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-click = ">=7"
 six = "*"
+click = ">=7"
 
 [package.extras]
-coverage = ["pytest-cov"]
 testing = ["mock", "pytest", "pytest-rerunfailures"]
+coverage = ["pytest-cov"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pluggy"
@@ -579,19 +591,19 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.5"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-atomicwrites = {version = ">=1.0", markers = "sys_platform == \"win32\""}
-attrs = ">=17.4.0"
-colorama = {version = "*", markers = "sys_platform == \"win32\""}
-importlib-metadata = {version = ">=0.12", markers = "python_version < \"3.8\""}
-iniconfig = "*"
 packaging = "*"
-pluggy = ">=0.12,<1.0"
 py = ">=1.8.2"
+iniconfig = "*"
+importlib-metadata = {version = ">=0.12", markers = "python_version < \"3.8\""}
+colorama = {version = "*", markers = "sys_platform == \"win32\""}
+attrs = ">=17.4.0"
 toml = "*"
+pluggy = ">=0.12,<1.0"
+atomicwrites = {version = ">=1.0", markers = "sys_platform == \"win32\""}
 
 [package.extras]
-checkqa_mypy = ["mypy (==0.780)"]
 testing = ["argcomplete", "hypothesis (>=3.56)", "mock", "nose", "requests", "xmlschema"]
+checkqa_mypy = ["mypy (==0.780)"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pytest-cov"
@@ -602,8 +614,8 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-coverage = ">=4.4"
 pytest = ">=4.6"
+coverage = ">=4.4"
 
 [package.extras]
 testing = ["fields", "hunter", "process-tests (==2.0.2)", "six", "pytest-xdist", "virtualenv"]
@@ -673,9 +685,9 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*"
 
 [package.dependencies]
+idna = ">=2.5,<3"
 certifi = ">=2017.4.17"
 chardet = ">=3.0.2,<4"
-idna = ">=2.5,<3"
 urllib3 = ">=1.21.1,<1.25.0 || >1.25.0,<1.25.1 || >1.25.1,<1.26"
 
 [package.extras]
@@ -691,10 +703,10 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.5"
 
 [package.dependencies]
-Click = ">=6.0"
-dparse = ">=0.5.1"
 packaging = "*"
 requests = "*"
+Click = ">=6.0"
+dparse = ">=0.5.1"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "six"
@@ -721,16 +733,16 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*"
 
 [package.extras]
-mssql = ["pyodbc"]
-mssql_pymssql = ["pymssql"]
-mssql_pyodbc = ["pyodbc"]
-mysql = ["mysqlclient"]
-oracle = ["cx-oracle"]
-postgresql = ["psycopg2"]
 postgresql_pg8000 = ["pg8000"]
-postgresql_psycopg2binary = ["psycopg2-binary"]
+postgresql = ["psycopg2"]
 postgresql_psycopg2cffi = ["psycopg2cffi"]
 pymysql = ["pymysql"]
+mssql_pymssql = ["pymssql"]
+postgresql_psycopg2binary = ["psycopg2-binary"]
+mysql = ["mysqlclient"]
+oracle = ["cx-oracle"]
+mssql = ["pyodbc"]
+mssql_pyodbc = ["pyodbc"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "stevedore"
@@ -798,8 +810,8 @@ optional = false
 python-versions = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*"
 
 [package.extras]
-dev = ["pytest", "pytest-timeout", "coverage", "tox", "sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinx-issues"]
 watchdog = ["watchdog"]
+dev = ["pytest", "pytest-timeout", "coverage", "tox", "sphinx", "pallets-sphinx-themes", "sphinx-issues"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zipp"
@@ -816,7 +828,7 @@ testing = ["pytest (>=3.5,!=3.7.3)", "pytest-checkdocs (>=1.2.3)", "pytest-flake
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "1.1"
 python-versions = "^3.6"
-content-hash = "8ce6140731b2c2e9d2ba4f591ee85ca6d805851acba95169562ba1311a252ac5"
+content-hash = "270d9adcbf9a704468e4e264bf85ca1c27fe66122d402e24a1ff7193636894ce"
 
 [metadata.files]
 aniso8601 = [
@@ -960,6 +972,10 @@ flask-restful = [
     {file = "Flask-RESTful-0.3.7.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:f8240ec12349afe8df1db168ea7c336c4e5b0271a36982bff7394f93275f2ca9"},
     {file = "Flask_RESTful-0.3.7-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:ecd620c5cc29f663627f99e04f17d1f16d095c83dc1d618426e2ad68b03092f8"},
 ]
+flask-sqlalchemy = [
+    {file = "Flask-SQLAlchemy-2.4.4.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:bfc7150eaf809b1c283879302f04c42791136060c6eeb12c0c6674fb1291fae5"},
+    {file = "Flask_SQLAlchemy-2.4.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:05b31d2034dd3f2a685cbbae4cfc4ed906b2a733cff7964ada450fd5e462b84e"},
+]
 flask-swagger-ui = [
     {file = "flask-swagger-ui-3.25.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:42d098997e06b04f992609c4945cc990738b269c153d8388fc59a91a5dfcee9e"},
 ]
@@ -1114,6 +1130,8 @@ pyyaml = [
     {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1-cp37-cp37m-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:73f099454b799e05e5ab51423c7bcf361c58d3206fa7b0d555426b1f4d9a3eaf"},
     {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1-cp38-cp38-win32.whl", hash = "sha256:06a0d7ba600ce0b2d2fe2e78453a470b5a6e000a985dd4a4e54e436cc36b0e97"},
     {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1-cp38-cp38-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:95f71d2af0ff4227885f7a6605c37fd53d3a106fcab511b8860ecca9fcf400ee"},
+    {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1-cp39-cp39-win32.whl", hash = "sha256:ad9c67312c84def58f3c04504727ca879cb0013b2517c85a9a253f0cb6380c0a"},
+    {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1-cp39-cp39-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:6034f55dab5fea9e53f436aa68fa3ace2634918e8b5994d82f3621c04ff5ed2e"},
     {file = "PyYAML-5.3.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:b8eac752c5e14d3eca0e6dd9199cd627518cb5ec06add0de9d32baeee6fe645d"},
 ]
 regex = [
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5fea5a14..1891a50d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ flask-swagger-ui = "3.25.0"
 PyYAML = "5.3.1"
 python-icat = "0.17.0"
 suds-community = "^0.8.4"
+Flask-SQLAlchemy = "^2.4.4"
 
 [tool.poetry.dev-dependencies]
 pip-tools = "5.3.1"