Keep antibiotics working in the North West

This week is World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week - a global campaign led by the World Health Organisation which calls on policymakers, healthcare providers and the public to ‘spread awareness, stop resistance’ to the overprescribing and use of antibiotics and help to reduce drug-resistant infections.

What is AMR?

Inappropriate or overuse of antimicrobial medicine – including antibiotics such as penicillin – allows the target bacteria to develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Examples of inappropriate use include taking antibiotics for illnesses like colds which cannot be treated by antibiotics.

The more we use antimicrobial medicines, the less effective they become against their target organisms, and the less they work at making us better when we really need them, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. That’s why it is important to take antibiotics only when recommended by a healthcare professional. 

Dr Will Morton, Consultant in Health Protection from UKHSA, explains:

“Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, such as meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis but inappropriate use or overuse will mean they stop working against life-threatening conditions. In the absence of effective antibiotics, cancer treatments and common surgeries like caesareans would become very high-risk procedures and for many people, could lead to infections that cannot be treated and may become fatal. 

“Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of developing infections which in turn cannot be easily treated with antibiotics.

“Now, more than ever, we need to continue to work together to prevent serious infections whilst reducing inappropriate antibiotic use.”

AMR in the North West

Last week, the UKHSA published its annual report on English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance ESPAUR which shows that the number of bloodstream infections in the North West increased in 2022 with 12,067 infections compared to 11,248 in 2021. And our total antibiotic consumption increased by 8.3% in 2022 compared to 2021.

The report also identified that the North West has consistently had the greatest levels of antibiotics prescribed across the country, measured by ‘defined daily doses.’

Over the last 12 months, almost half of children under 5 years of age in the North West were prescribed at least one course of antibiotics in primary care.  Last winter, families and clinicians were faced with an unprecedented increase in group A streptococcal infections, which explains some of the increased prescribing of antibiotics for children.  However, prescribing rates remain high, with 1 in 25 under 5s being prescribed antibiotics during September 2023.

What we’re doing about it

In response to these consistently high rates in the region, UKHSA North West and NHS England North West are delivering training to primary care prescribers in the North West to enable clinicians to reduce inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics in general practice.

How you can help to keep antibiotics working

1) Help to reduce the spread of infection

You can help reduce or prevent infections in the first place by taking simple steps – keeping up to date with vaccinations, staying away from vulnerable people if you are feeling unwell, washing your hands regularly and keeping rooms ventilated. This isn’t just about protecting your own health – it’s about helping everyone in our communities. 

2) Listen to your health professional

Only take antibiotics if you have been told to by a healthcare professional.

Everyone should avoid asking their doctor, nurse, dentist or pharmacist to prescribe antibiotics. They will not work for viruses such as cold, flu or COVID-19 and can cause side effects, including nausea and diarrhoea; their use can also increase the risk of spreading infections that are caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them only puts you and your loved ones at more risk in the future so, please listen to your GP, nurse, dentist or pharmacist’s advice.

Antibiotics are needed for:

• Serious bacterial infections including:
• Sepsis
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infections
• Sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea
• Meningococcal meningitis

Antibiotics are NOT needed for:

• Colds
• Flu
• Vomiting
• Most coughs
• Most ear infections
• Most diarrhoea
• Most cystitis

3) Practice self-care

• Ask your pharmacist to recommend medicines to help with symptoms or pain
• Get plenty of rest
• Drink enough fluids to avoid feeling thirsty
• Use paracetamol if you or your child are uncomfortable because of fever – which is a sign of the body fighting infection, and normally gets better by itself in most cases
• Use tissues for your nose and wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading your infection to family and friends.

4) Take antibiotics as directed

When a health professional prescribes antibiotics, it is important that you always take them as directed, never save them for later and never share them with others.

5) Dispose of antibiotics in the correct way

Reduce the impact of antibiotics on the environment by returning unused antimicrobials to your nearest pharmacy for safe disposal and don’t flush down the drain or toilet. Talk to your friends and family about the safe disposal of antibiotics.

6) Help to spread awareness of AMR

We can all spread awareness. The Antibiotic Guardian website encourages everyone to choose a pledge on how they can personally help contribute to tackling AMR. More than 145,000 people have already signed up as Antibiotic Guardians.

Becoming an Antibiotic Guardian and encouraging others to do the same can help the public and healthcare professionals think about how they can better use antibiotics.

To find out more about some of the simple actions that the public and professionals can take to reduce the impact of AMR, visit the Antibiotic Guardian website or check out our AMR toolkit blog.

For more information visit https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-amr-awareness-week/2023

Ends

For more information, or to request media interviews with: Dr Will Morton from UKHSA North West, please contact: UKHSA Press Office – North West Tel: 0344 225 0562 – option 5 (includes out-of-hours) or email northwest-pressoffice@ukhsa.gov.uk