Stroud MP Neil Carmichael has welcomed the lead being shown by the Prime Minister David Cameron in setting out plans to encourage the new development of antibiotics.

Last year Neil met with UK infection control company ICNET, a local business based in Stroud, to discuss the growing healthcare risks of antibiotic resistant infections.

A warning had already been issued by Dame Sally Davies, the UK's most senior medical adviser that we could face an "apocalyptic antibiotic scenario" if action is not taken on this issue.

Antibiotic resistant infections can result in common illnesses becoming life threatening if the resistance to treatment is not promptly identified in hospitals when drugs are prescribed .

Neil, who is Secretary of the All Party Health Group at Westminster said: "There is now a growing awareness of the risk of drug resistant infections and the need to identify the risk of potential infection at the earliest opportunity. The work of ICNET and other companies in developing software to assist medical professionals in "early alerts" to these risks is clearly important in reducing drug expenditure, patient stays in hospital and costs, and most importantly ensuring patient safety.

“Significant benefits have been felt by the users of such technology, and this is outlined in a recent report commissioned by the Department of Health. As the local MP I have helped bring the importance of this work to the attention of a wider audience of health care professionals and policy makers at Westminster"

The world could soon be "cast back into the dark ages of medicine" unless action is taken to tackle the growing threat of resistance to antibiotics, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

The Prime Minister has said: "If we fail to act, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again."

It is estimated that drug-resistant strains of bacteria are responsible for 5,000 deaths a year in the UK and 25,000 deaths a year in Europe.