UK MNer with at least one child? Fill in this survey on antibiotics - Chance to win £200 voucher

[EllieMumsnet]

We've teamed up with Public Health England to find out your views on antibiotics.

This survey is open to all UK MNers with at least one child.

Everyone who fills in the survey will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £200 voucher of their choice (from a list).

To fill in the survey click here

Thank you and good luck!

MNHQ

One of the biggest contributors to antibiotics resistance is the routine use of antibiotics in farming

That has a much bigger impact than the odd time we misuse antibiotics

there should have been an open text field...

I get regular bouts of bacterial tonsilitis - about once a year / every two years.

I am old enough to know when it's a sore throat and when it's one of those...

fortunately some GPs listen to me, but I remember going to a GP on a Friday, his saying 'blah blah viral' and on saturday having to drag myself to the out of hours in agony to finally get the antibiotics

Done x

Done

I also agree that the questions were heavily weighted and that a free text field is necessary. It’s all very well asking about asking GPs for antibiotics, but you also need to ask why.

Sadly some of the GPs I have come across - both professionally and as a patient - are so influenced by campaigns to reduce antibiotic prescribing that they make unsafe clinical decisions, occasionally resulting in serious incidents. It would be interesting for PHE to examine SI data in the form of a deep dive into RCA reports to identify all incidents where antibiotic prescribing is a contributory factor.

Done. Very important issue, particularly when it comes to elderly patients. They often need longer and stronger doses to fight a (usually simple) infection. A dose of antibiotics for a UTI may be redundant, and a strong dose of Somethjng else needed instead. But there will come a point when that doesn't work either, so then we think about admission to hospital for super strong IV antibiotics. Not great when you are elderly, poorly with other issues and quite possibly have dementia.

I work in healthcare and have seen this happen a few times. One lady started on trimeprothim, didn't work. She was very poorly with it and her dementia meant that her behaviour was more unusual than pre-UTI. She was distressed and it was hard to get her to eat or more importantly drink.

A strong dose of nitrofurantoin was then prescribed. Nope. I had to call 999 for her when she hit a temp of 39.4 and was rushed in. IV antibiotics given, she's been in hospital a week, and although still poorly due to the effects of such a long running UTI, we hope to have her home this week.

It's a really worrying issues for us all.

Done.
I used the only little text box to add my points- seemed to fit. :)
My kids have only ever had antibiotics once but if someone really needs them, of course they should have them. We are fortunate in our house with illness (touch wood) but I do know people who like to take tablets for pretty much anything and have a lot of GP appointments (that they probably don't need).
The NHS is stretched enough, if people used it more wisely, it would be able to better provide for us all.

Sadly some of the GPs I have come across - both professionally and as a patient - are so influenced by campaigns to reduce antibiotic prescribing that they make unsafe clinical decisions, occasionally resulting in serious incidents.
We had different experience - my child has long term condition and is immunosuppresed. They were wrongly prescribed or offered antibiotics by GPs at least 10 times e.g. was offered methicillin (!) for severe cold sores. It's a herpes virus ffs. Took us ages to get referred to consultant and get correct diagnosis.
PHE should start with GPs

Done