The number of deaths linked to superbugs that do not respond to frontline antibiotics increased by 17% in England last year, according to official figures that raise concerns about the ongoing increase in antimicrobial resistance.
The figures, released by the UK Health Security Agency, also revealed a large rise in private prescriptions for antibiotics, with 22% dispensed through the private sector in 2024.
The increase in private prescribing is partly explained by the Pharmacy First scheme, a flagship policy of Rishi Sunak’s government that allows patients to be prescribed antibiotics for common illnesses without seeing a GP, raising questions about whether the shift in prescribing patterns risks contributing to the rise in resistance.
“Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest health threats we face,” said the UKHSA’s chief executive, Prof Susan Hopkins. “More people than ever are acquiring infections that cannot be effectively treated by antibiotics. This puts them at greater risk of serious illness and even death, with our poorest communities hit the hardest.”
The emergence of drug-resistant strains is an inevitable consequence of natural selection. Whenever the drugs are used they wipe out some bugs, but any survivors multiply and are transmitted.
Limiting the use of antibiotics to when they are most needed is one of the most effective ways of combatting the spread of resistance, which it has been predicted could cause as many as 10 million deaths a year globally by 2050.
The latest surveillance data found that the number of antibiotic-resistant infections in 2024 equated to an average of nearly 400 newly reported cases a week.
Cases of bacteraemia caused by antibiotic-resistance - a life-threatening infection where bacteria circulate in the blood - rose from 18,740 in 2023 to 20,484 in 2024, a 9.3% increase. The estimated number of deaths in people with a resistant infection rose from 2,041 in 2023 to 2,379 in 2024, a 17% increase.
Antibiotic use in NHS primary care decreased between 2019 and 2024, while private dispensing in community pharmacies more than doubled. Overall primary care antibiotic use across the NHS and private sector rose by 10.7% over the five-year period.
“It’s positive that we’ve seen antibiotic use fall in England within the NHS but we need to go further, faster,” said Hopkins.
“Please remember to only take antibiotics if you have been told to do so by a healthcare professional. Do not save some for later or share them with friends and family. If you have leftover antibiotics, please bring them to a pharmacy for appropriate disposal.”
The UKHSA data gives insights into the Pharmacy First scheme, which is designed to free up GPs to deal with more complex health problems.
It allows seven common conditions including earache, sinusitis, a sore throat, infected insect bites and shingles to be treated at pharmacies, which were found to supply antibiotics in 45% to 85% of consultations depending on the condition being treated.
“While the increase in antibiotic supply through the Pharmacy First service is notable, it should be interpreted with caution and in the context of broader changes in how patients access care,” the UKHSA report concluded. The service followed established Nice guidance on appropriate prescribing, it said.
