Deaths linked to superbugs not responding to leading antibiotics increased by 17% in England last year, according to official data, which raises concerns about the continued rise in antimicrobial resistance.
Figures published by UK Health The safety agency also found a significant increase in private antibiotic prescriptions, with 22% of them issued through the private sector in 2024.
The rise in private prescribing is partly due to the Pharmacies First scheme. flagship policy of the Rishi Sunak government This allows patients to be prescribed antibiotics to treat common conditions without visiting a GP, raising questions about whether changing prescribing patterns could be contributing to the rise in resistance.
“Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest health threats we face,” said UKHSA chief executive Professor Susan Hopkins. “More people than ever are contracting infections that cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics. This puts them at greater risk of serious illness and even death, with our poorest communities suffering the most.”
The emergence of drug-resistant strains is an inevitable consequence of natural selection. Whenever drugs are used, they kill some insects, but the survivors reproduce and spread.
Limiting the use of antibiotics to only when they are most needed is one of the most effective ways to combat the spread of resistance that is predicted to cause up to 10 million deaths per year worldwide by 2050.
The latest surveillance data showed that the number of antibiotic-resistant infections in 2024 averaged nearly 400 new reported cases per week.
The number of cases of bacteremia caused by antibiotic resistance (a life-threatening infection in which bacteria circulate in the blood) increased from 18,740 in 2023 to 20,484 in 2024, an increase of 9.3%. The number of deaths among people with persistent infection is estimated to have risen from 2,041 in 2023 to 2,379 in 2024, an increase of 17%.
Use of antibiotics in National Health Service primary care fell between 2019 and 2024, while private dispensing at community pharmacies more than doubled. Overall use of antibiotics in primary care in the NHS and private sector increased by 10.7% over a five-year period.
“It is positive that we are seeing a decline in antibiotic use in England across the NHS, but we need to go further and faster,” Hopkins said.
“Please remember to only take antibiotics if you have been advised to do so by a healthcare professional. Do not put them off until later or share them with friends and family. If you have any leftover antibiotics, bring them to the pharmacy for proper disposal.”
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UKHSA data provides insight into the Pharmacy First scheme, which aims to free up GPs to deal with more complex health problems.
It treats seven common conditions, including earache, sinusitis, sore throat, infected insect bites and shingles, in pharmacies that were found to provide antibiotics in 45-85% of consultations, depending on the condition being treated.
“While the increase in the supply of antibiotics through the Pharmacy First service is noticeable, it should be interpreted with caution and in the context of wider changes in how patients receive care,” the UKHSA report concluded. The service followed established Nice guidelines for the correct prescribing of drugs, it said.
