Antibiotic abuse: the nightmare scenario

A new radio drama by Val McDermid highlights the worrying prospect of antibiotic resistance becoming a global epidemic

Imagine a world in which even the slightest scratch could be lethal. Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, and organ transplants are no longer possible. Even simple surgery is too risky to contemplate, while epidemics triggered by deadly bacteria have left our health services helpless.

It is science fiction, of course - but only just. According to many doctors and scientists, the rise of antibiotic resistance across the planet could soon make this grim scenario a reality. And if it does, humans will have to face up to challenges that would once have seemed unthinkable. The question is: when - and how - might this horrific medical ordeal unfold for the human race?