Family doctors in Bradford could get new rules on prescribing antibiotics amid fears of growing resistance by illness bugs to treatments.

Bosses at Bradford Health Authority are drawing up guidelines for GPs as part of work focused on improving health in the area under the district's pioneering Health Action Zone.

The move has been prompted by worldwide concern about the overuse of antibiotics which have revolutionised healthcare in the last 50 years.

There is growing evidence that because of this overuse some bacteria have developed resistance to the drugs, making them ineffective in treating ailments.

GPs come under particular pressure from patients for antibiotics for common problems including colds and coughs even though they are not caused by bacteria.

Now health chiefs are hoping to get family doctors and out-of-hours stand-in GPs to adopt the guidelines and prescribe antibiotics only when necessary.

Simon Grant, senior pharmaceutical adviser for Bradford Health Authority, said use of antibiotics was an important factor in the emergence of resistance and it was vital to use them prudently.

A national report last year by the Government had called for a campaign to increase awareness of the issue among GPs and patients. It recommended no prescribing of antibiotics for simple coughs, colds or viral sore throats.

"By seeking access to Health Action Zone funding, the health authority is aiming to develop and implement local guidelines which would help to ensure that antibiotic prescribing is of the same high quality throughout the district," he said.

Dr Philip Marsh, consultant microbiologist at Bradford Royal Infirmary, said there were problems worldwide with overuse of antibiotics and evidence in some countries of the development of resistant superbugs.

"We are using a lot of antibiotics when perhaps they are not strictly necessary or using them for longer than is necessary," he said.

"If we give microbes the chance to evolve and become more resistant we may feel the effects further down the line.

"It's just as important to educate the public and make them aware it isn't necessarily a good thing if you go to your doctor expecting antibiotics for every malady."

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