Sandwell health bosses are encouraging residents to be more vigilant around their use of antibiotics – in a new bid to help people to become resistant to them.

The council’s health team is working with Public Health England on the 'Keep Antibiotics Working' campaign to warn that taking antibiotics when they are not needed puts families at risk. Although they point out that antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections they point out that they are frequently being used to treat illnesses, such as coughs, earache and sore throats which can get better by themselves.

They point out that taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside patients to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when they are really needed. As antibiotic resistance increases common procedures such as caesarean sections and hip replacements could become life-threatening without antibiotics to ward off infections.

Health experts also point out that cancer patients are also much more vulnerable if antibiotics don’t work, as both cancer and chemotherapy treatment reduce the ability of the immune system to fight infections and antibiotics are critical to both prevent and treat infections in these patients. Councillor Elaine Costigan, cabinet member for public health and protection, said:

“Antibiotics should only be taken when they are advised by a healthcare professional to treat infections that can get worse without them. We all need antibiotics to keep working, so they should only be taken when necessary.”

Ansaf Azhar, interim director of public health, added: “Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves.

“Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them.”

The ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign reminds people that taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk. It’s important that, when it comes to antibiotics, you always take your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional’s advice.