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Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said, “The Patients Association welcomes the report for focusing attention on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is an increasing worldwide threat to patient safety.

Unless we act now, the Review estimates that AMR could by 2050 be claiming 10 million lives every year.

“This latest report confirms what we are hearing from experts on the ground. At the launch of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Patient Safety, which is holding an inquiry into infection prevention, we invited Professor Jonathan Cooke to speak about the impact of AMR. He warned about the massive cost of overprescribing antibiotics and warned that the situation can only improve with effective antimicrobial stewardship and improved diagnostics. Currently antibiotic resistant bacteria is found in over 50% of pathogens causing surgical site infections and over 26% of pathogens causing infections after chemotherapy, but with increasing resistance, the situation will get worse.

“However, the Review plays an import role in helping to address this growing threat to patient safety. As Jim O’Neill’s report highlights, the Department of Health must promote the uptake of C-Reactive Protein as point of care test in GP practices and Community Pharmacies to reduce antibiotic prescribing in respiratory tract infections. The Department should also adopt the Antimicrobial Self-Assessment Toolkit) in all NHS Hospitals as a benchmark for the state of antimicrobial stewardship, and promote the adoption and early evaluation of Reactive Oxygen Dressings to help prevent surgical site infections.” 

Notes for Editors

Link to report: http://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/Paper-Rapid-Diagnostics-Stopping-UnnecessaryPrescription.pdf

The Patients Association is an independent national health and social care charity established over 52 years ago, and has a long history of campaigning to ensure that the voice of patients is heard within the Health and Social care system. 

For further information please contact the Patients Association on 020 8423 9111 alternatively you can call 07779 004898.

You can also visit us on our website at www.patients-association.org.uk

You can also view our All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Patient Safety at http://www.patientsassociation.org.uk/policy-campaigns/all-party-parliamentary-group-patient-safety/