Overview
- National surveillance shows nearly 400 antibiotic-resistant infections reported each week across 2024.
- Bloodstream infections caused by resistant bacteria rose 9.3% year on year, from 18,740 in 2023 to 20,484 in 2024.
- Estimated deaths in people with resistant infections climbed to 2,379 in 2024, an increase of 338 from 2023.
- Primary-care antibiotic use shifted toward pharmacies as private dispensing more than doubled since 2019 to 22% of supply, with Pharmacy First issuing antibiotics in 45%–85% of consultations and accounting for 4% of primary-care prescriptions.
- UKHSA highlighted unequal impacts and age risks, with 90% of cases in adults over 45 and a 47.2% higher resistant bacteraemia rate in the most deprived areas, alongside calls for vaccination, stewardship and stronger surveillance.