Practices have achieved a big reduction in antibiotic prescribing amid concern about the spread of drug resistance, it was announced yesterday.

Last year total prescribing of antibiotics fell by 5.3% in England – a reduction of more than two million prescriptions.

The sharpest reduction followed changes to the GP contract in April. In the last nine months of last year there was a 7.9% reduction in antibiotic prescriptions.

NHS England said the reduction include more than 480,000 fewer broad spectrum antibiotics.

The introduction of flu vaccines for children is also thought to be another factor, NHS England says.

England chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said: “Antibiotics are the cornerstone of modern medicine and we need to do all we can to preserve them. I am really pleased to see that, through a focus on prescribing of antibiotics, we have seen such a real reduction in their inappropriate use.

“Unnecessary use of antibiotics contributes to an increase in drug resistant infections and it is great to see that England is taking steps to address this.”

The NHS national director for patient safety Dr Mike Durkin said there was more to be done.

He said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to the delivery of healthcare across the globe, and these findings clearly show that NHS England’s incentive programme is an important step in the right direction. Healthcare staff across the country should be congratulated for this significant achievement.

“However, there is a lot of work still to be done to preserve the effectiveness of these vital drugs.

“This will require the continued effort of both medical staff and patients to ensure antibiotics are only used and prescribed where appropriate, across all areas of healthcare.”