News story

Path of least resistance

Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, has taken part in a discussion on BBC Radio 4, about people's resistance to antibiotics.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 18 August 2011

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Bacteria will evolve and those that resist antibiotics will survive. Other issues include over-prescription, failure to complete courses, and factors such as poor hygiene, all help bacteria become resistant. For immuno-suppressed patients, like those with HIV or undergoing chemotherapy, resistant bacteria can prove fatal.

Sally Davies, Dr Stuart Flanagan and others discuss what the future holds.

You can hear the broadcast by visiting the Radio 4 website.

More information about Sally Davies.

Published 18 August 2011