National surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels. London recorded the highest rate of such infections, increasing from 39.2 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 41.5 in 2023.
The English Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescribing and Utilisation Report (ESPAUR) reveals that 65% of antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections over the past five years were caused by E. coli. This bacterium is a common source of urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, vomiting, and fever.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are harder to treat, leading to serious complications such as bloodstream infections, sepsis, and hospitalisation. People with resistant infections are more likely to die within 30 days compared to those with infections that respond to antibiotics.
While resistance occurs naturally, reducing antibiotic use and only taking them when necessary is vital to controlling the spread of resistant bacteria and preventing related deaths.
The 2023 data also highlights growing inequality in infection rates. People in the most deprived areas were 42.6% more likely to have an antibiotic-resistant infection compared to those in the least deprived areas, up from 29.4% in 2019. Between 2019 and 2023, resistant infection rates in England’s most deprived populations increased by 9.5%.
Dr Tania Misra, Consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA in London, said: “Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, such as those causing meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis. Inappropriate use or overuse will mean antibiotics could stop working against life-threatening conditions. In the absence of effective antibiotics, cancer treatments and common surgeries like caesareans would become very high-risk procedures as they could lead to infections that cannot be treated and may become fatal.
“While health partners work together to develop new approaches and life-saving treatments, there are steps everyone can take. Take up the vaccinations you are eligible for, to help stop infections in the first place. Only take antibiotics if they have been prescribed for you by a healthcare professional. Do not save antibiotics for later or share them with friends and family. This isn’t just for your own health – it’s about protecting everyone in our communities and making sure that antibiotics continue to work for future generations.”
Patient and campaigner, Caroline Sampson, explains how an antibiotic resistant infection has impacted her life: “For 8 and a half years, I have had a chronic urinary tract infection (UTI). No form of antibiotics has successfully treated it. It has derailed my life in every possible way.
“I can no longer enjoy simple pleasures like eating out, going to the theatre or inviting friends over. The daily symptoms are debilitating and painful. Trying to accomplish the smallest task takes a huge amount of effort. The impact on my mental health has been enormous and I live with daily anxiety that the infection could develop into urosepsis.
“I just want my life back. The threat of antibiotic resistant infections to us all cannot be underestimated.”
The UKHSA is working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on innovative ways to combat antibiotic resistance by developing quality standards to support the research and development of novel therapeutics and treatments to tackle antibiotic resistance in the UK and around the world.
Dr Nicola Rose, Interim Executive Director, Science and Research of MHRA, said: “Our purpose is to improve patient safety. Our scientists are working with UKHSA to support interventions to tackle antibiotic resistance, including close collaboration with the emerging microbiome research community, bacteriophage innovators, novel diagnostics developers, and those developing new bacterial vaccines.
“In the fight against antibiotic resistance it is of utmost importance to enable the development and timely access to novel therapeutics, such as microbiome interventions and phage therapy, something we have been focusing on the recent years.
“We are also exploring improved detection and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance genes through biological standardisation so we can quickly identify potential threats and resistant germs in hospitals and the environment.”
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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