Infection Prevention and Control

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat infections.

This is because:

many infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics are not effective
antibiotics are often unlikely to speed up the healing process and can cause side effects
the more antibiotics are used to treat trivial conditions, the more likely they are to become ineffective for treating more serious conditions

Both the NHS and health organisations across the world are trying to reduce the use of antibiotics, especially for health problems that are not serious.

For example, antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat:

Can we prevent antimicrobial resistance?

As we cannot stop using antibiotics altogether, some antimicrobial resistance is bound to happen. However, we can slow down its development and contain its spread by using antibiotics carefully.

What you can do:

If you’ve been prescribed antibiotics, follow your doctor’s advice on how to take them and for how long. Do not stop taking them before you’ve come to the end of the course, as this may make it easier for the resistant bacteria to take over
Never take anyone else’s antibiotics and never share yours
Do not take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription

What we do:

We educate doctors, nurses and patients about when it is right to use antibiotics. Most simple coughs, colds, sore throats and influenza are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not help to fight viral infections.
We have an antibiotic guideline for all staff who prescribe drugs to follow. We monitor antibiotic prescribing and administration against the Trust guideline. We report findings to clinical teams on a regular basis
Good infection prevention and control (IPC) practice helps stop antibiotic resistance from spreading from one patient to another. This includes hand hygiene which we promote to all staff and visitors and regularly monitor.