NHS running an antibiotic amnesty across Nottinghamshire and the Midlands this November

The NHS are asking the public to return any unused or unwanted antibiotics to any local pharmacy as part of an antibiotic amnesty.

The antibiotic amnesty is taking place throughout November with the health service asking people across Nottinghamshire and the Midlands to play their part in protecting antibiotics for the future by returning any unused or old antibiotics to any local pharmacy.

Advice and information on antibiotics from the NHS says: "Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses, such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves.

"Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them.

"As antibiotic resistance increases, common procedures such as caesarean sections and hip replacements could become life-threatening without antibiotics to ward off infections.

"Cancer patients are also much more vulnerable if antibiotics don’t work; both cancer and the treatment (chemotherapy) reduce the ability of the immune system to fight infections and antibiotics are critical to both prevent and treat infections in these patients.

"It’s important that, when it comes to antibiotics, you always take your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional’s advice."

You can locate your nearest pharmacy using the NHS website HERE.

Antibiotics should only be taken when prescribed by a healthcare professional, should never be given to someone else and should never be saved for later use unless specifically told to do so by your doctor or nurse.