Infection Management

We urge every health and social care professional in Somerset and beyond to become an Antibiotic Guardian. 

Please share the Antibiotic Guardian Leaflet for Health and Social Care Professionals with staff in your practice.

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18th to 24th November every year.

The theme for the World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.”

We encourage you to promote WAAW within your practice.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have published guidance and a toolkit with suggested actions and many useful resources for awareness campaigns, including digital resources to share. 

Campaign materials can be also found on the World Health Organization (WHO) website, along with a campaign guide.

 Will you "Go blue for AMR"?

European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD), held annually on 18th November, is organised in partnership with the World AMR Awareness Week, organised annually by the World Health Organization from 18 to 24 November. Last year's campaign focused on actions needed to hit the EU's 2030 AMR targets. This year's campaign is coming soon!

Plan a Campaign within your practice. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have published guidance and a toolkit with suggested actions and many useful resources for awareness campaigns, including digital resources to share. 

Key messages for Primary Care Prescribers

Patient Dialogue - A model for a patient dialogue on the basis of available evidence provides guidance and support for primary care prescribers who encounter patient pressure for antibiotics, and promotes appropriate antibiotic use by patients. It can be used as a fact sheet or as a desk reminder during consultations.

Patient Brochure - A patient leaflet for primary care prescribers to hand out to patients: it explains to patients what antibiotic resistance is and why appropriate use of antibiotics is important.

Communication Toolkit to promote prudent antibiotic use with focus on self-medication with antibiotics.

Additional Resources including key messages, factsheets, infographics, posters, videos and patient stories.

A shorter antibiotic course can sometimes be as effective at treating a bacterial infection as compared to a longer course

Shorter courses of antibiotics have been associated with less adverse drug events

Shorter courses of antibiotics have been associated with less bacterial resistance to antimicrobials

There are many available resources and frameworks to help promote rational antibiotic prescribing, including avoiding unnecessarily long courses

One minute video: Why shorter is better with antibiotics

Antibiotic course lengths: 5 days for 5 infections (adults)

Antibiotic course lengths: Shorter is safer - Avoiding prolonged durations of antibiotic therapy

Research has shown a number of infographics with the main messages on appropriate antibiotics use in children with coughs and sore throats to be effective. These have been produced by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research and families with children.