Antipsychotic drugs had 'horrendous' effects

More than 50 health and social care organisations are calling for fresh action to cut the prescription of 'chemical cosh' drugs.

Around 180,000 people with dementia are thought to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs in the UK, but 80% of those prescriptions may be inappropriate, it has been suggested.

Long term use of the drugs can make dementia symptoms worse, reduce the ability to talk and walk and increase the risk of stroke and even death.

Michelle Fraser's father Michael Rainford was put on antipsychotic drugs for two years after developing dementia, which she says had "horrendous" effects.

She told the BBC, "if he wasn't on antipsychotics we would have got to spend a lot more time with my dad and I feel like that time was taken away from me and my mum".