CALLS have been made for some ‘soft touch’ GPs in Worcestershire to face disciplinary action for over-prescribing antibiotics.

The Royal College of GPs welcomed the guidance but is against the suggestion that GPs be reported if they are found to prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily which can make them less effective against evolving superbugs.

As many as 10 million prescriptions for antibiotics are being dished out unnecessarily every year, with patients partly to blame for purposely seeking out doctors who will prescribe the drug, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.

The three Clinical Commissioning Group, which holds the purse strings for health care in Worcestershire, were unable to provide figures showing the prescribing habits of county GPs.

A spokesperson on behalf of the three CCGs in Worcestershire said: “The over-prescribing of antibiotics is a global problem and can lead to increased bacterial resistance.

“The issue is a key priority for the three CCGs in Worcestershire who are working in partnership with clinicians, including GPs in Primary Care to support the appropriate use of antibiotics.

“There are various projects taking place across Worcestershire including updating local prescribing guidance and ensuring that GP practices have access to suitable resources to educate and inform patients about antibiotic resistance.”

Professor Mark Baker, director of Nice, said "soft-touch" doctors who "fail to come into line" by continuing to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics could be reported to the health regulator.

Nice last week published guidance for doctors, nurses and pharmacists to help tackle the problem, while it plans to issue advice for patients next year.

Dr Tim Ballard, vice chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said family doctors prescribe antibiotics even when it is not the best course of action following "very difficult and stressful" conversations with patients.

Health officials have warned of a growing "crisis" of antimicrobial resistance which could change the whole basis of medicine, with infections having to be treated surgically if drugs no longer work.