Over 74s account for half of all AMR

Nearly half of all antibiotic resistant infections were found in people aged over 74, new government data shows.

Adults in this age group accounted for 46 per cent of resistant infections. The English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report shows that most antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in the last six years (65%) were caused by E. coli – a common cause of urinary tract infections.

In 2024, there were nearly 400 newly reported cases per week, including increased infection from bacteraemia, a life-threatening blood infection. During the same period, there were 338 more deaths than in the previous year, totalling 2,379.

People aged over 45 years continue to be the most at risk, accounting for over nine in ten cases.

For the first time, the ESPAUR report includes data on antibiotic prescriptions from the new Pharmacy First service, alongside other primary care services including general practice and dentistry. Most antibiotics prescribed in 2024 were in primary care (79.6%), within which Pharmacy First accounted for four per cent. Antibiotic prescribing in general practice and dentistry remain below 2019 levels.

Between 2019 and 2024, NHS primary care antibiotic use decreased, while private dispensing in community pharmacies more than doubled. Overall, primary care antibiotic use (NHS and private non-NHS) rose by 10.7 per cent between 2019 and 2024, reflecting a large rise in private prescriptions, with 22 per cent of antibiotics in 2024 dispensed through the private sector.

Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance is discussed in the recently updated Dispenser Education Module on Upper Respiratory Tract Infections.

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