Benenden Hospital has joined more than 1,500 others in a national scheme aimed at tackling antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic Guardian is a new initiative developed by Public Health England to encourage healthcare professionals and members of the public to take action to help make sure antibiotics work now and in the future.
It involves healthcare workers and individuals becoming Antibiotic Guardians and signing up to pledges stating how they will use antibiotics better and more responsibly.
At Benenden Hospital two Antibiotic Guardians have been appointed, with Clinical Pharmacist Lesley Grice leading on the initiative.
Lesley said: “Antibiotic resistance is a huge threat. By 2050 we could be back to the same situation we were in before we had penicillin. It is a global problem. To slow resistance we need to cut down on the unnecessary use of antibiotics. Without effective antibiotics many routine treatments and operations will become increasingly dangerous.
“As an Antibiotic Guardian at Benenden Hospital I will monitor the prescribing of antibiotics and be part of education and training for our doctors and nurses.
“I will check that antibiotic prescriptions comply with local guidance and query those that do not. When antibiotics are given the Hospital pharmacists will inform the patients on the dose and duration and will inform them that any unused antibiotics should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
“Antibiotic resistance is a big threat and a huge worry.”
Lesley recently attended an Antibiotic Guardian conference held in London, run by Public Health England. The conference included an overview of the problem, details of how what action is taking place across Europe, the Government’s stance and a talk about the threat of so called Super Bugs.
Published on 10 March 2016