The care home 'chemical cosh drugs' which could be killing dementia patients

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Ministers launched an urgent inquiry yesterday into the way care homes use inappropriate drugs to keep dementia sufferers placid.

The anti-psychotic, or ' chemical cosh', drugs have been shown to increase the risk of strokes and other disastrous side effects.

Care Minister Ivan Lewis called for a review into 'the prescribing and use of antipsychotic drugs to treat sufferers of dementia'.

The Department of Health promised a decision before October when the 'national dementia strategy' is due to be launched to tackle the growing number of dementia sufferers.

There are about 700,000 in the UK but that is expected to rise to 1.4million in the next 30 years.

Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow has said that 23,000 people a year are dying prematurely in care homes.

His claim was based on research which showed survival rates for those given antipsychotic drugs and those who were not.

Mr Burstow said yesterday: 'These drugs don't treat dementia, they cut lives short. The U.S. Federal Drugs Administration has issued a warning against prescribing anti-psychotics to older people.

'UK regulatory authorities must follow the FDA's lead now.'