Thousands sign up to new Antibiotic Guardian scheme

A new government scheme aimed at encouraging responsible use of antibiotics has seen thousands of people signing up to participate.

Since the launch of the Antibiotic Guardian programme in September 2014, more than 8,100 healthcare professionals and 3,600 members of the public have pledged to do their part to reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics.

The most popular pledge chosen by the pharmacy teams was when giving a patient their medicines, they would make sure to educate them on responsible use, including not sharing them or re-using them at a later date.

Of the 3,644 members of the public who made a pledge, 69 percent were adults and 17 percent selected the pledges for their families.

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies said: "By raising awareness of this issue and pledging to make a difference, we can start to tackle what is one of the biggest threats to modern medicine."

Antibiotic resistance is considered a key healthcare challenge for the NHS at the moment, as the spread of highly resistant superbugs puts the lives of patients in great danger.