Sir Bruce Keogh becomes an Antibiotic Guardian during his Doubleday visit

26 Nov 2015

The Medical Director of NHS England added his very welcome support to a campaign organised by three final year pharmacy students to mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day (18 November)

While visiting the medical school to deliver the annual Doubleday lecture, Sir Bruce heard about the campaign and was keen to meet the organisers, Hannah Bloor, Hannah Cowley and Linda Owens. The three delivered three simultaneous information workshops across the University campus, where eForm surveys were used to gauge participants’ perception of antibiotic resistance and to convince individuals to pledge to become Antibiotic Guardians. Sir Bruce lent his support by completing the online survey, signing up to be an Antibiotic Guardian and even sporting one of the free, specially designed lanyards!

This pharmacy-led inter-professional campaign also included undergraduate volunteers from the Schools of Pharmacy, Medicine and Nursing and was supported by Dr David Allison, Sandra Martin and Paula Higginson (CPPE) from Manchester Pharmacy School.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing society today. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics has led to an unexpectedly fast emergence of untreatable superbugs – bacterial infections which resist the effects of antibiotics to which they once succumbed.

This threatens the very basis of modern medicine. If bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, many simple infections such as ear, tooth and urine infections, and routine treatments such as hip replacements and caesarean will become increasingly dangerous and life threatening.

The whole event was a great success with 347 surveys being recorded and 40% of participants pledged on the day with 31% stating that they might pledge later. Of the 38% that did not pledge, many were already Guardians. This was an excellent and positive response.

Comments from the participants suggest that the survey did prove educational as there are still misconceptions amongst the general public regarding antibiotic usage, for example 12% of those surveyed thought that antibiotic resistance was our bodies adapting to the antibiotic.

However, the survey did highlight that 92% of respondents knew that they should complete a course of antibiotic treatment regardless of how much better they might be feeling.

Pledging to become an Antibiotic Guardian is an ongoing process, takes only 30 seconds to complete and can be accessed at online through the Antibiotic Guardian website. Sign-up now and help save our remaining antibiotics!