ANTIBIOTICS are not needed for every ailment, parents of young children have been told.

South West doctors have said that the life-saving drugs are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, like meningitis or pneumonia.

But they warned that antibiotics are not necessary for less serious viral illnesses, like colds, coughs and earache – and could make youngsters more ill.

Public Health England also advised that using antibiotics for lower level illnesses could reduce the overall effectiveness of the drugs.

The government agency urged parents to trust the advice of doctors, nurses and pharmacists about when antibiotics should be taken. They warned that, if antibiotics are prescribed, the drugs should be taken as directed – and not stored for later use.

Dr Chaam Klinger, a consultant for Public Health England, said: “As a parent, I know how difficult it is when a child is ill and you will pretty much do anything to try and help them.

“It can be very tempting to go to the GP and ask for antibiotics.

“However, I would urge parents to think twice as the long-term consequences of using antibiotics for viral infections such as colds, sore throats and ear infections could be devastating.

“We want to make sure that we all help keep antibiotics working for serious infections such as sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia.”

She said that GPs, pharmacists, the NHS Choices website and the NHS’s non-emergency 111 helpline were good sources of health advice.

Public Health England also recommended that parents consider a free phone app, called the HANDi app, that has been developed by doctors in Somerset with the aim of giving parents health advice.

Dr Sarah Bridges, one of the consultant paediatricians at Musgrove Hospital who developed the app, said: “The HANDi Paediatric app provides self-care advice to help families manage their children’s symptoms.

“We know it can be a difficult decision for parents whether or not to take their children to A&E, and unfortunately they often end up there as they aren’t sure what else to do.

“We hope the HANDi paediatric app gives them more confidence in dealing with the more minor conditions themselves at home.”