Nurses asked to pledge to fight antibiotic resistance

Public Health England is calling on nurses, other healthcare professionals, the public and students to pledge to fight antibiotic resistance. 

Its new Antibiotic Guardian campaign says everyone can play a part in preventing infections through using antibiotics appropriately. 

To back European Antibiotic Awareness Day today and World Antibiotic Awareness Week which runs until Sunday, PHE wants to gather thousands of pledges to fight what it has labelled one of the biggest threats to public health. 

Currently there are more than 17,000 antibiotic guardians and PHE is aiming for there to be 100,000 by March. 

Pledges available to nurses include: 

- 'Every time I see an antibiotic prescription which has continued beyond seven days without specified duration, I will highlight this to the prescriber or pharmacist.'
- 'I pledge to read and follow the Start Smart - then Focus guidance available here.'  

NHS England director of patient safety Mike Durkin said: 'Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to the delivery of healthcare across the globe. We need to act now to make sure we behave as responsible stewards of the use of antimicrobial medications, so that these incredible elements of medical science can be preserved – not just for our lifetime but for all future generations.

'I have made my own personal pledge to the antibiotic guardian campaign, which is to work to contribute to develop a national action plan for my country on antimicrobial resistance, in line with the global plan.’

Make your pledge by visiting here.