New study highlights continuing issue of antibiotic overuse

An increase in the use of antibiotics over the last few years has been linked to rising levels of antibiotic resistance by a Public Health England study.

The report revealed that between 2010 and 2013, there was a six percent increase in the combined antibiotic prescribing of GPs and hospitals, accompanied by a 12 percent rise in the number of bloodstream infections caused by E.coli, with varying levels of resistance to key antibiotics for this infection.

While the proportion of resistant infections remains the same as in previous years, the number of resistant infections has increased in proportion to the total amount of infections. Additionally, a wide variation in prescribing habits and antibiotic usage was seen across England.

These findings are indicative of the ongoing need for behavioural change on behalf of doctors and patients alike to combat the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria.

Professor John Watson, deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said: "Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to health security facing the world today and everybody must take action. We want to support all doctors and other prescribers in reducing their prescribing rates where possible."

A recent study from Cardiff University indicated that more than one-tenth of all antibiotic treatments in a primary care setting have failed in the UK in the last two decades, demonstrating the scale of this problem.