Assessment of UK healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes and practice towards antibiotics, antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance: comparing findings from 2019 and 2024 national surveys

Background A national survey assessing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic prescribing was conducted in 2024 to determine changes from a 2019 survey and support commitments included in the UK 2024-29 National Action Plan for AMR. Methods A previously EU-wide validated online survey tool was used to survey HCPs across 30 EU/EEA countries, including the UK, between 28 January and 4 March 2019, and repeated between 1 and 18 March 2024. Patient-facing HCPs from the four UK nations participated. Results A total of 2996 HCPs from the four UK nations completed the 2024 survey. Most respondents were nursing professionals (31%, 943/2996), medical doctors (28%, 831/2996) or pharmacists (25%, 762/2996). Almost all HCPs correctly answered that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses and colds/flu (98%). Nearly a quarter of HCPs (24%, 723/2996) were unaware that resistant bacteria can spread from person to person. Over half of HCPs (62%, 1876/2996) answered all seven knowledge questions correctly: an increase of 2.6% from 2019 possibly driven by a 14.2% increase in allied healthcare professionals' knowledge. Knowledge in 2024 varied significantly between professions (P<0.001) with highest levels of knowledge seen in medical doctors (75.3%). Just over a quarter of HCPs (26%, 479/2996) did not feel they have a key role in helping to control AMR. Conclusion Knowledge levels varied significantly between HCPs, demonstrating the need for more targeted training with a focus on highlighting the important role HCPs play in tackling AMR, as well as awareness raising regarding available resources.