Prescribing of antibiotics on the decline in Kirklees

NHS North Kirklees and NHS Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have seen a month-on-month reduction in GP prescribing of antibiotics since the launch of the Antibiotic Guardian campaign last year.

The total antibiotic prescribing has decreased by 6% for NHS Greater Huddersfield and 8% for NHS North Kirklees CCG when comparing October – December 2015 to the same period in 2014.

GPs in Kirklees made a stand in the battle against the increasing resistance of diseases to antibiotics and the implications to health.  Both CCG’s encouraged all GPs in their member practices to only prescribe antibiotics where they are really needed.

The Antibiotic Guardian pledge campaign calls on the public and medical community to become antibiotic guardians by choosing one simple pledge about how they will make better use of these vital medicines.

Antibiotics are essential medicines for treating bacterial infections in both humans and animals, but they are increasingly losing their effectiveness.  Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic so that the antibiotic no longer works. The more you use an antibiotic, the more bacteria become resistant to it.

Dr Steve Ollerton, Clinical Leader of NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG and local GP said: “I would like to thank GPs and patients for supporting the Antibiotic Guardian campaign to only use antibiotics when necessary. We are asking everyone across the area to continue to support this as one of the greatest threats to the health of our nation is antibiotic resistance.”

There are very few new antibiotics in development, which is why it is important existing antibiotics are used wisely and these life-saving medicines continue to stay effective for ourselves and future generations.  Many antibiotics are prescribed and used for mild infections when they do not need to be, say campaigners. All colds and most coughs, sinusitis, earache and sore throats often get better without antibiotics.

Dr David Kelly, a local GP and Chair of NHS North Kirklees CCG also asks patients to remember: “Antibiotics should only be taken as prescribed, and never saved for later or shared with others.  It is also important to use antibiotics in the right way – the right dose, at the right time for the right duration. Appropriate use of antibiotics will slow down the development of antibiotic resistance.”

You can sign up to become an Antibiotic Guardian at http://antibioticguardian.com/