Update from 2025 Highly Commended – The Das Pillay Antimicrobial Stewardship Memorial Award – David Shepherd (NHS Tayside)

Attending the recent awards was a turning point for me. It was a chance to see antimicrobial stewardship through a much wider lens, taking in all the fantastic work and efforts that are currently ongoing. Being in a room with so many people passionate about the same cause opened my eyes to new ideas, new approaches, and the scale of the challenge we all face. I gained a deeper understanding of the national work and was motivated to continue pushing for improvement in my setting.

Receiving a Highly Commended certificate felt like recognition not just for me, but for the whole area I work in. It’s already made a difference. Colleagues who might not have thought much about antimicrobial stewardship before are now asking questions and starting conversations. It’s given the subject more visibility, especially in community settings where the risks of antimicrobial resistance can sometimes be underestimated.
Collaboration has been at the centre of all of this. Working alongside doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and others has shown me how much stronger we are when we share the responsibility and ideas. Antimicrobial stewardship only works when everyone is on board.

In the coming months, I’ll be attending the RCN summit on antimicrobial stewardship. It’s a chance to tell the story of the role in a community setting, to be honest about what works and what’s difficult, and to encourage others to try new approaches. I will also continue to champion antimicrobial stewardship through quality improvement initiatives in the future.

On a larger scale, the recognition has highlighted the need for antimicrobial nurse roles in community and care home settings. Although my position did not become substantial, this has helped to show why it should be. Having someone focused on this work makes a difference as it connects the dots to a bigger picture, brings people together, and keeps antimicrobial use in check. The more people see the benefits, the harder it will be to ignore the value of integrating roles like this into modern nursing as we move forward.