A GROUP of doctors' surgeries has reduced the number of antibiotics prescriptions it has handed out by 13 per cent in a year, as part of a drive to stop bacteria becoming resistant to drugs.

NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group said initiatives it had introduced included educating GPs relating to antibiotic usage and reviewing guidelines.

It said it was its second consecutive annual reduction, which has taken the CCG from a rate similar to the national average, to ten per cent below it during 2015/16.

Dr Charles Parker, clinical chair of the CCG said the reduction in the use of the drugs would help ensure when antibiotics are required, they are effective.

He said: “The more we use antibiotics, the greater the chance bacteria will become resistant to them and they can no longer be used to treat infections – this is an international concern.

"Although antibiotics are important medicines for treating bacterial infections, they are not always the answer to treating illness. They do not treat viral illnesses which are often the cause of common coughs and colds."

The CCG is launching a campaign titled Your Health, in partnership with GPs, to help patients identify the most appropriate methods of treatment.