Use of antibiotics declines across all healthcare settings

A new government report has highlighted a degree of success in efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics by NHS service providers.

The Public Health England review has shown that 2.2 million fewer antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed in the community compared to 2014, a figure that equates to six percent of all prescriptions.

This marks the first time that the number of antibiotics being prescribed by GPs and clinicians has fallen, with the decline reflected across all healthcare settings, including in the community and hospitals.

Additionally, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics – which are effective against a wide range of bacteria, and therefore more likely to lead to resistance – has also decreased in primary care for the second year running.

This represents a significant step forward in the NHS' fight to tackle the spread of antimicrobial resistance, which has been classified as a major threat to public health.

Dr Susan Hopkins, lead author and healthcare epidemiologist at Public Health England, said: "The overall decrease in the number of antibiotics being prescribed is great news but we can't become complacent; there is still a lot of work to be done."

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