Doctors, Antimicrobial Resistance and the Fleming Fund

The Fleming Fund invests substantially in improving hospital laboratories. A vital part of this is ensuring that laboratories are used properly by doctors. Doctors are responsible for requesting laboratory tests on patient samples, collecting clinical data (e.g. by completing request forms and making good clinical notes) and are the end-users for individual laboratory results to inform patient care and antimicrobial treatment. Also, in most hospitals and many community healthcare settings, antimicrobial prescribing decisions and guidelines are made by doctors.