University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) is appealing for support from the local community to reduce the pressures on hospital services through responsible use of A&E, and by helping their relatives to return home or to their next place of care in a timely manner once they no longer need a hospital bed.

Patients in the Cannock area are being urged to use antibiotics responsibly to keep them in good health and prevent disease-resistant infection from spreading.

Antibiotics are a vital tool for treating infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and tuberculosis and for preventing infections during surgical procedures and cancer treatment. However, the more antibiotics are used the less effective they become because overuse gives resistant bacteria a greater chance to survive and spread.