DID YOU KNOW?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can make common infections more dangerous.
When bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, infections can be harder to treat, increasing the risk of serious complications, including sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection, causing around 48,000 deaths every year in the UK – five every hour.
As AMR grows, treating some of the infections that can lead to sepsis is becoming more challenging.
But there are practical steps we can all take to reduce the risks, from preventing infections and using antibiotics responsibly to recognising when someone is becoming seriously unwell.
Learn what you can do to protect yourself and others.
What is AMR?
Antimicrobials are medicines used to kill or stop the growth of microorganisms – like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites – helping treat the infections they cause.
AMR happens when these microorganisms no longer respond to the medicines used to treat them, making infections harder to treat and manage. It’s important to remember that it’s the microorganisms – not the person – that are resistant.
Over 35,000 UK deaths annually are linked to drug-resistant infections. This isn’t a problem for the future: it’s affecting people right now.
If someone with an infection is getting worse instead of better – and something feels seriously wrong – trust your instincts and act quickly.
Seek urgent medical attention and Just Ask: “Could it be Sepsis?”
If you’re unsure, please use our Sepsis Assessment Tool.
Why does AMR matter for sepsis?
The harder an infection is to treat, the greater the risk of serious illness and complications, including sepsis: even simple infections that stop responding to antibiotics may become life-threatening.
As AMR grows, so will the number of deaths from sepsis.
That’s why responsible antibiotic use and infection management is so important: it can save lives.
Rita's story: Living with repeated sepsis
Rita was diagnosed with GPA in 2002 – a rare condition that causes her blood vessels to become inflamed. Treatment included chemotherapy, steroids, antibiotics, and immunotherapy.
Soon, she noticed antibiotics didn’t always work in the way she expected.
Rita developed sepsis in 2018, following a diagnosis of Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She survived but went on to develop it eight more times.
Over time, Rita has learned to understand what antibiotics don’t work for her, often having to advocate for herself and tell health professionals when a particular antibiotic is unlikely to help.
She believes education is key: patients need to understand why they’re being prescribed something and what for, and health professionals need to help patients make sense of their care.
Who’s at risk of AMR?
AMR can affect anyone, but some people are more vulnerable to serious complications from infections, including older people, young children, people with weakened immune systems, and those undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy.
People who need frequent healthcare or prolonged hospital treatment may also be more exposed to resistant infections.
For more information, visit AMR Action UK.
How does AMR develop and spread?
AMR develops naturally over time as microorganisms change. The more these resistant mircoorganisms are used, the greater the opportunity for resistance to develop and spread.
AMR is connected to our everyday environments, behaviours and choices, including:
- Healthcare: When health professionals don’t have quick access to accurate diagnostic tests, they often have to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics as a precaution. This approach can lead to undertreated or resistant infections, longer hospital stays, higher NHS costs, extra pressure on hospital staff, and a greater risk of complications for patients.
- The food chain: When farm animals are treated with antibiotics, resistant bacteria can spread through livestock, supply chains, and the surrounding environment. Most UK regulations enforce strict standards that minimise the risk, but imported meat still poses significant risks.
- Water systems: Antibiotics pass through the body completely unchanged, entering sewage networks and agricultural soils, which then go into our crops, water systems, and swimming areas. There is also little regulation around how hospitals dispose of antibiotics, meaning they can easily enter our water systems.
What can you do about AMR?
Addressing AMR isn’t about sepsis or AMR in isolation – it’s about infection prevention in all forms.
This is a shared responsibility for everyone, whether you’re a policymaker, health professional, farmer, vet, or member of the general public.
Help prevent infections
Good hand hygiene, keeping vaccinations up to date, and following advice on infection prevention can reduce the spread of infections and the need for antibiotics.
Recognise when something is seriously wrong
Sepsis can happen to anyone, but it’s often treatable if caught early. That’s why recognising when an infection is getting worse and seeking help quickly is essential.
If you or someone else has an infection and something feels seriously wrong, trust your instincts and act quickly.
Just Ask: “Could it be Sepsis?”
If you suspect sepsis, seek urgent medical help. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone has warning signs.
Use antibiotics responsibly
Only take antibiotics when they’re prescribed for you and follow the instructions from your health professional.
Antibiotics don’t work against viral infections such as colds and flu. Taking them unnecessarily can contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Never share antibiotics or save leftover medicines for future use.
What else needs to happen?
Individual actions are important, but tackling AMR also requires wider changes. Governments, healthcare providers, researchers and industry all have important roles in protecting the effectiveness of these life-saving medicines.
- Faster, more accurate diagnosis can help healthcare professionals identify infections and select effective treatments sooner.
- Better infection prevention in hospitals, care homes and communities can reduce the spread of resistant infections.
- Responsible antimicrobial use in both human and animal healthcare can help preserve the effectiveness of existing medicines. This includes giving the prescribed amount to patients receiving IV antibiotics.
- Stronger environmental protections can reduce the spread of antibiotic residues and resistant microorganisms through our water and food systems.
need support?
If you have been affected by sepsis and would like to speak to a UKST Support Nurse, find out more here.
If you have been affected by AMR, please visit AMR Action UK’s website.
FAQs
I'm a health professional. What can I do about AMR?
Health professionals play a vital role in preventing and managing AMR. You should use antibiotics responsibly, support timely diagnosis, and help patients understand when antibiotics are/aren’t appropriate. It’s important that you have access to the right diagnostics at the right time.
Explore practical resources and evidence to support antimicrobial stewardship and the management of resistant infections.
What happens if antibiotics don't work?
If bacteria are resistant to an antibiotic, you might not get better as quickly as you anticipate, and treatment may need to be changed to a different antibiotic. Speak to a health professional for advice.
Can antibiotic resistance cause sepsis?
Antibiotic resistance does not directly cause sepsis. Sepsis happens when the body’s response to an infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. However, antibiotic resistance can make an infection more difficult to treat because some antibiotics may not work, meaning sepsis becomes more likely.
What happens if sepsis doesn't respond to antibiotics?
If sepsis doesn’t respond to antibiotics, health professionals need to reassess the diagnosis and check whether the bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic being used. Treatment may then need to be adjusted based on test results and the individual’s condition.
If you’re worried about someone right now, please use our Sepsis Assessment Tool.
Created in partnership with AMR Action UK.
Funding for this campaign has been provided as an educational grant by B. Braun and bioMérieux, and as a donation by GAMA Healthcare and Pfizer Ltd.
